The Gods Game Part 4
by Liz Inverse
Summary: The final installment of the Gods Game. The world grows darker as the awakening of the Destroyer grows closer, the prophesy of the end becomes known. Old hostilities are reawakened by a Prince from an old world, and war erupts.
1. Prologue

AN-Thanks for keeping up with this story, dear readers! Just a little history note- This story has actually been done for years. I started writing it back when Chronicles 4 and 5 were new, I've just been extremely hesitant about posting it. This is why you haven't seen or heard from any Kamael, and Gracia is only alluded to. You will find some things to be incorrect from where the game is now, as 1. it was merely speculation how things would be for me, and 2. the game world was vastly different back then. If you're new to Lineage 2 within the last expansion or so (and I'll be shocked if you are O_O) this story will be strange for you. :)

Also, make sure you're reading the side stories! While they're side stories, they explain a lot of stuff that's happening in between the main arc installments!

In any case, you can still find my friends and I gaming under these character names in many other MMO's even now, and Haibane is still going strong. :) Look us up sometime, we don't bite. Vlad just may, however...he just may...

* * *

><p><em>-Prologue 1: Gatz Windawood-<em>

It would be nice to begin this tale with something happy. A birth perhaps, or a grand achievement. Sadly, other than a standard childhood filled with average things that one who holds the last name of Windawood would experience, nothing quite ever stood out in Gatz's memories as the thing we're about to recall.

But first, we shall look at the boy to whom we speak of. He is thirteen years old in this memory, and sports short hair the color of rich gold. He has brown eyes, and a pointed chin that was usually seen on Light Elven men, not humans. His eyes are large and point upwards slightly, a common genetic trait amongst the Windawoods.

Most of his life has been spent trailing after his mother, looking after her as she was quite possibly the ditziest creature alive. He loved her dearly though, and found her bursts of childishness comforting.

Living on the outskirts of the Wasteland left Gatz with next to nothing in the way of playmates his age. Although he hesitates to openly admit it in the now, many of his days were spent racing as fast as he could after the tumbleweeds that would blow onto the Windawood manor property. His mother also loved playing dress-up, and would frequently put him in girlish dresses. Never knowing any better, Gatz would go along with it joyfully, happy about his mother's elation over how cute he looked decked out in frills and ribbons.

This went on up until his father employed a poor farming family from Floran to work on the manor property. There was a profit in hunting Monster Eyes, and his father needed someone with the knowledge of how to process the creatures after they were slaughtered. With the family came a boy of Gatz's age with brown skin and strange black hair that shone a bright blonde color.

Naïve in the ways of boys' activities, Gatz eagerly tried to share his ideas of fun with this new person, only to be made fun of immediately for being a 'sissy'. Hurt, as he'd never been teased so harshly before, Gatz withdrew and moped about the manor. The new boy, whose name was Engelbert, began to hang around the older teens that worked the grounds of the manor. The teens were a rough crew, and frequently reprimanded for stealing from the Windawood main house. They encouraged Engelbert to bully Gatz because of the games he played, and soon the gentle boy was coming home with bruises or a split lip.

Brenton Windawood, Gatz's father and brother to Sir Collin, finally took his son aside one day to find out the problem. Disgusted that his son had turned into what he felt was a 'weak waste of a boy', he encouraged his son to stand up to Engelbert. The courage to do so was slow coming, but one day Gatz finally had enough, and got into a fight with Engelbert. Neither one of them won, both equally matched in strength and size, and ended up fighting until they wore each other out. Later on that evening, they both sat on a cliff overlooking the Wasteland, suddenly the best of friends.

They were inseparable after that, and played together every day. Gatz's mother mourned the loss of her own playmate, and took to staying indoors, reading books or daydreaming. So brings us back to the memory now, a bright winter's day where Gatz and Engelbert have just left the manor to play along the outskirts of the Wasteland. It was never cold there, so the boys dressed as one would for summer.

As soon as they were out of sight of the house, Engelbert produced a set of sharpened daggers with a sly grin and gave one to Gatz. He claimed he had taken them from the farmhand boys while they were distracted. Gatz felt uneasy, holding the bronzed blade in his hands. He knew that the farmhands had to have stolen them from his father in the first place, but Engelbert prodded and jeered until Gatz agreed to play with them for a little while.

The boys began to pretend they were the Grand Pirate Zaken and Chief Mate Tillion, thinking they were acting out the fateful night that turned the entire island into undead. Always the selfish thinking one, Engelbert insisted on being Zaken.

The boys clanged the daggers together as if they were swords, and took their swashbuckling play-battle up a ledge to a cliff. Getting into the battle, Gatz never noticed that he was pushing his friend dangerously close to the edge. His friend swiped the dagger across Gatz's face unexpectedly, slicing open the skin under his eye, and Gatz jumped back in shock. Engelbert smirked at him triumphantly for but a moment before the rocks he stood on crumbled from beneath his feet.

Gatz gasped and darted for his friend's hand, but grabbed the dagger blade instead. He released it with a yelp, the blade cutting into his skin. Engelbert's body turned mid-fall, and he landed precariously on the hand that held the blade. From where he stood on the upper ledge, Gatz stared in shock as dark red blood seeped out from beneath his friend and stained the rust-colored dirt a darker color.

The death of Engelbert was a controversy that Brenton worked hard to keep quiet. Engelbert's parents were outraged, and blamed Gatz for his death, not believing that it had been merely an accident. Word spread despite Brenton's efforts, and soon officials from the Lord of Dion and Gludio paid Windawood Manor a visit, requesting that Gatz be handed over to them to be tried as an adult in court.

Knowing that Gatz would never get a fair trial as a pre-teen and just be instantly shipped off to the Execution Grounds, Brenton instead worked with his brother Collin to find a way around Dion and Gludio's legal system. Sir Collin had often boasted of his former colleague and their brother-in-law, Sir Cedric, and the school he had established on Talking Island for people looking to learn the path of the sword. Trusting his brother's word, Brenton sent Gatz under the cover of night to Talking Island, giving his brother full guardianship of his son. He then convinced the officials that Gatz had run away from home upon hearing the news of being handed over to the court, and had met his fate in the Ants Nest. His mother, believing the news, slipped into a kind of dementia and began to believe that she never had a son, and was waiting for her 'daughter' to return.

And thus, Gatz Windawood became his own cousin, as Sir Collin secretly adopted the boy without him knowing. The Gatz Windawood that was the son of Brenton Windawood was dead, and people believed that Sir Collin had an illegitimate child with a woman of unknown origin and just happened to name him the same name that his brother had chosen for his son. Sir Cedric raised his eyebrow at this story, but asked no questions and took the boy into his school.

Afraid to stand out, not knowing that the legal officials were no longer on his trail, Gatz tried to mold himself into what he thought everyone else was. He wanted to be liked, and not hated as he had been his final days at the manor. The result was that he made himself practically invisible to everyone, save one knight-in-training named Ryonai.

Ryonai was the closest thing Gatz had to a friend on the island, but the boys were in different classes and didn't see each other very often. Ryonai filled Gatz in on life on Talking Island, sticking mostly to the stories of all the girls in his life. He seemed to be particularly fond of a ten-year old named Komugi, and spoke often of the little flirty panty flashes she'd give him while running past. He tried to hook Gatz up with a classmate of Komugi's by the name of Koyori, but Gatz found he couldn't stand the girl and broke off their half-date before it'd even started.

Halfway through his first year on Talking Island, Gatz began to feel his first pangs of jealousy. Sir Collin seemed to be impressed by a boy in Ryonai's class named Leon. He was older than Ryonai and Gatz, and kept to himself more than Gatz even did. His entire focus in life seemed to be his swordplay. Gatz attempted a few times to be friendly with him while the classes combined for group study, but the only things that would ever come from Leon's mouth would be methods to improve his swordplay. Whenever Gatz would excel at something in his courses, Sir Collin would congratulate him, and then tell him a story of how Leon did at the same test or exercise. Gatz began to find himself compared to Leon more often than he'd like, and began to think bitterly of the teen despite himself.

During the start of his second year, Gatz decided to prove that he could do something better than Leon and excel in the exams that would promote him to the next class. The task was killing Elpys and young Keltirs in the Training Hall's courtyard, something that he'd heard Leon had opted out of for some unspoken reason. He ran about the courtyard, searching for Keltir and Elpy to slay, when he spied one just relaxing near the edge of the courtyard. He failed to notice the brown-haired girl from his class trying to feed a slice of carrot to the beast, and ran it through on his sword in front of her. She had burst into tears at the sight of her would-be friend slaughtered, and taken back into the Training Hall leaving Gatz bewildered and guilt-ridden.

He'd attempted to apologize later that evening after dinner, but when he found her she was standing on a beach with Leon pressed against her back as he led her in proper sword form. The sight of them together left him jealous and angry, and he stomped back to the Training Hall to sulk. He'd been trying to figure out a way to apologize to the girl all day, and it upset him to see Leon there when his perfect chance arose. He stood in the courtyard and recalled that the girl's name was Sharmin. He'd never paid her much attention before, as she sat in the back of the book studies class and kept quiet.

Movement caught his eye, and he looked back to the shore to find Leon running into Einhovant's with his sword drawn. Concern over-riding his judgment when he noticed Sharmin was no longer on the beach, Gatz bolted towards Einhovant's as well. He arrived just as a man with slicked back brown hair wielding a bloody sword burst from the school. He slammed into Gatz, bowling him over, and paused long enough to give him a confused look before dashing into the night.

Gatz entered to find Leon picking up a wounded Sharmin from where she had collapsed onto the ground. "What happened to her?" he exclaimed, running over to her to help lift her. Leon held a hand out and halted him, then lifted her, himself. "Should I go alert Cedric?" Gatz tried again, hovering back and forth behind Leon as he walked out of the school and towards town. Sharmin's head rolled against Leon's chest and she moaned and winced. Her eyes were partially open but glassy.

"Does such a question really have to be asked?" Leon murmured. Gatz froze in his steps and watched him go with large eyes, stunned by his response. Feeling ashamed and embarrassed, Gatz growled deep in his throat and kicked a rock at his feet as hard as he could. He let out a breath of air through pursed lips and ran his hands through his hair before dashing in the direction of the school.

He alerted Cedric, who instantly made all of the students return to their dorms, even Gatz himself. Gatz protested, as he wanted to check on Sharmin's condition, but Cedric wouldn't make any allowances for his decision.

Classes were cancelled for a month, and many students either returned to the mainland to their families or were taken into homes if they did not already originate from Talking Island Village. While standing outside of his uncle's house one afternoon, Gatz saw Sharmin and Komugi walk past on a market run. Surprised to see her as he had thought she'd been taken to the mainland for treatment, Gatz followed after them, and called Sharmin's name just before they stepped into the grocer.

"Oh, hi Gatz." Sharmin greeted with a nervous smile. Komugi glanced over her shoulder at him with an annoyed look, agitated that they were being held up.

"I'm going on ahead, I'll be in there waiting." Komugi said, taking the woven grocery basket from Sharmin and walking inside the store. This left the pair in an awkward kind of silence as Gatz tried desperately to think of something to talk about.

"I uh…didn't know you lived here." Gatz finally managed out.

"I've lived here since I was four." Sharmin responded, tilting her head at him curiously. Gatz kicked himself inwardly as the silence returned immediately after. He didn't know why he was so nervous all of a sudden, Sharmin was his classmate!

"Oh sorry I uh…I didn't know." Gatz mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. Sharmin smiled at him and patted him on the shoulder in a friendly manner.

"That's ok; you just moved here recently, didn't you? It takes awhile to get used to a new place. I still remember being awkward my first day in the village." Sharmin said. It was now that Gatz's fourteen year old heart thudded once, very hard, at the sight of Sharmin's smile. It was warm, and it struck him as the prettiest smile he'd ever seen.

"Sharmin, come on!" Komugi shouted from the doorway. "Stop flirting and let's get this over with, I'm hungry!" Sharmin whipped back around quickly, her cheeks pink.

"I'm not flirting!" She exclaimed. She sighed heavily and lifted her long dress from trailing in the dust. "Sorry, I have to go. My sister is evil when she's hungry." Sharmin apologized. Desperation crept into Gatz's chest, and his mind quickly tried to think of a way to keep her attention just a few moments longer.

"I'm really glad you're ok." He blurted out. Sharmin stopped to look at him for a moment with large eyes before smiling warmly again.

"Thanks." She said before walking into the store. Gatz was left staring at her back as it disappeared into the grocer's, a blush plain on his face and his heart thudding.

He was lost in thought the rest of the evening after that. He'd never had a crush on anyone before, but according to Ryonai, one was left with the feeling of wanting to do all sorts of romantic, lustful things to someone. Gatz tested Ryonai's theory and ended up having the maid draw him water for a cold bath. Indeed, he had a sudden, unexplainable crush on Sharmin.

The days went by, and Gatz mulled over his feelings. They only seemed to grow and intensify as the days went on, and Gatz found himself feeling pangs of jealousy every time Sharmin would even smile politely at his uncle. He wanted to possess Sharmin for himself, he wanted her to smile at him, laugh with him, hold his hand and… He smacked his cheeks and forced himself to change his thoughts, not wanting to take another cold bath. After classes were brought back in session he made up his mind; he was going to confess his feelings to Sharmin. Cowardice brought him short however, how was he going to go about doing that? There was only one person he knew who knew how to talk to girls, and the only one he felt comfortable going to for advice; Ryonai.

"Forget it." Ryonai responded one morning as the boys did their exercises before class. Gatz paused mid-stretch to gape at him.

"What, why?" Gatz asked, surprised that his friend would deny him help.

"Just a waste of time, Fish Face is pretty dense." Ryonai said with a shrug, and then began doing crunches. "Why don't you go after Koyori or something? She's girlier and will be easy to confess to in the end."

"I don't like Koyori, she's annoying as hell." Gatz mumbled, glaring at the brown-haired teen. "Just tell me how one normally goes about confessing to a girl and I'll wing it from there." He tried again, giving Ryonai a pleading look. Ryonai sighed heavily and stood straight.

"I'll tell you this much, Gatz," He began seriously, "confessing to a girl like Fish Face is something that not even I've perfected, and I've had ten years of trying." Gatz stared at him, stunned speechless.

"You mean, you also like Shar…" Ryonai shushed Gatz before he could continue by clapping a hand over his mouth.

"You will not repeat that aloud ever if you so value your immortal soul." Ryonai said in a low voice, glaring at Gatz. "If I ever hear that sentence come from your mouth in any form, you will be subjected to multitudes of pain that I can't even begin to spell out for you, understand?" Gatz nodded behind his hand, his eyes large. "Good."

"But why haven't you pursued her if you…y'know?" Gatz prodded again, curious despite himself. Ryonai shrugged and picked up the sweat towel from where he'd deposited it in the grass.

"Up until a few years ago I did nothing but tease her. I guess I kind of blew my chances." He said in a light voice. "No worries though, I've got a multitude of other hot chicks to choose from, so I'm not hurting too bad." He paused and stared into the air with a sort of wistful expression on his face. "I'll probably always be fond of her though; she kinda gets under your skin like that, annoying fish head that she is…" He gave Gatz a thin-lipped smile and clapped him on his shoulder. "Just trust me when I say, it's useless to confess to her. I'm saying that as your buddy, not as a potential jealous rival." He walked ahead of Gatz, who frowned at the back of Ryonai's head as it disappeared into the training hall.

Gatz was irritable the rest of the day after his conversation with Ryonai. If Ryonai didn't have any interest in pursuing Sharmin, then why was it that he was telling him to forget about her? It irked him, but not quite as much as one of the guards forcing him to retrieve his uncle from his favorite hiding place outside of town.

Sir Collin was the governor of Talking Island and notorious for disappearing from his office when there was work to be done. It seemed the students at Cedrics were the only ones who knew his favorite place to hide too; at the base of a statue erected an hour of foot travel from town called the Obelisk of Victory. He tried in vain to convince his uncle to return to town, but the older man seemed intent on remaining on his bottom underneath the statue. Fully agitated, Gatz stomped back to town, nearly stepping on the toes of a silver haired Light Elf that looked at him in surprise.

Sharmin bumped into him as he passed Einhovant's after stopping in town and telling Sir Collin's assistant that he couldn't be found. She was frightened, running away from a Dark Elf that was for some reason hiding out inside the darkened mystic's school. Gatz tried to bravely confront the object of Sharmin's fright to protect her, but got his pride shot into the mud by being swiftly compared to Leon. It puzzled him how the Dark Elf knew of Leon, but the effect of the comparison was still the same.

Trying to bandage his pride, he decided to walk Sharmin back to the Training Hall in an attempt to offer some sort of protection. She seemed so discontent within herself, and he restrained himself several times from just grabbing her and hugging her close. A voice spoke up inside his head and urged him to take that moment and confess his feelings to her. Right before he got it out however, Sharmin noticed Ryonai kissing her sister behind the school and swiftly moved to break them up. Obviously angry at being interrupted, Komugi took that moment to fire acidic retorts back at Sharmin, and during such revealed that Sharmin had a long-time crush on Leon.

"I'm sorry man, I told you that it was useless to try and confess to her." Ryonai murmured to him as both Sharmin and Komugi fled in opposite directions after their spat. He gave his friend a pitying look and patted him on the shoulder. "She's had a crush on DiValmont for years, probably even took up the sword to be closer to him. Don't sweat it though, Leon's leaving with me on the boat tomorrow, you'll have Sharmin all to yourself then so…"

"I need to be alone right now." Gatz interrupted in a low voice. He walked away from his friend and to the edge of the courtyard that overlooked the ocean. He picked up a rock and hurled it into the waves with all of the strength he had. Finding that the exertion felt good, he picked up another, and another. His mind was strangely devoid of all thought, and he only focused on relieving his anger.

Leon and the Light Elf from earlier came walking towards the Training Hall a bit later, and stared at him curiously. The sight of Leon ignited his temper just as it had begun to cool, and he stalked away from them as quickly as he could. He disappeared into the Training Hall and began to beat up one of the sword dummies to calm down. He punched it as hard as he could with his bare hands, the rough rope covering the wood scraping and biting his knuckles until they were raw. He finally exhausted himself after a few minutes, and returned to the courtyard.

The Light Elf emerged from the Training Hall a half-hour later, and began to beat up the tree that Gatz had seated himself against with her sword. Hearing the tree suddenly being chopped to bits with metal startled Gatz, and he froze to his spot, terrified confusion keeping him from moving. A splinter broke off of the tree and pierced his cheek, the pain bringing him out of his stupor enough to look up at the Light Elf in horror. Feeling instantly guilty, the Light Elf seated herself next to him to begin working the splinter from his skin.

Desperate for a female figure to talk to, Gatz opened up to the stranger, to find out what he would do next with Sharmin. He couldn't figure out how Sharmin could still have a crush on Leon after all of those years when he never showed an interest in her in return. Sadly, the Light Elf's response for him just left the situation even more confusing, and he regretted asking her in the first place.

After she excused herself for the night, Gatz sat alone until the moon had fully risen in the sky, lost in thought. He tried to find something good in the situation, and recalled Ryonai saying that Leon was leaving for the mainland tomorrow. His spirits instantly lifted; he'd have plenty of time to spend with Sharmin then! Eager for tomorrow, Gatz pushed himself to his feet, that one simple thing wiping away all of the anger and discomfort he'd felt for the past three hours.

"Ah, Young Windawood, there you are." Cedric's voice came as Gatz entered the school. Gatz froze mid-step and stared at his headmaster with large eyes. "It seems that this letter was delivered to me by mistake from the mainland. I unfortunately didn't notice the addressee and took the liberty of reading it." Cedric handed Gatz a yellow parchment with a broken wax seal upon it. "So I take it Sir Collin isn't your real father?" Cedric asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"What?" Gatz gaped, unsure if he heard Cedric correctly. The letter he held was from his father, saying that his mother was ill and that he needed to visit home. He further went on to say that it was safe, and Engelbert's family had long since moved back to Floran. Nobody left would remember the accidental death, and he was safe from the law.

"Walk with me for a moment, my boy." Cedric said, putting an arm across Gatz's shoulders. He led Gatz through the school towards the dormitory. "I'm a bit miffed at Sir Collin for not confiding this situation with me in the first place. I could've used my connections in Aden and cleared your name without him having the hassle of adopting you."

"Wait…what?" Gatz repeated again, his voice cracking.

"Ah so he didn't tell you." Cedric said in a pitying voice. "No wonder you've been having a hard time living up to everyone's expectations. Legally you're Sir Collin's son now, not Brenton's. To put it bluntly, this means you're next in line for governing Talking Island according to former King Raoul's law, and you have a strict code and set of standards that you must live up to from now on."

The parchment fluttered from Gatz's fingers, and he froze to the spot. Him? A governor? He didn't even know how to coordinate his own wardrobe on a daily basis without looking silly, let alone making decisions for an entire Island!

"Your face looks like Collin's the day King Raoul appointed him to be governor, so I can imagine what you're thinking. I suppose that Obelisk will become your favorite hiding spot as well when you go into office." Cedric said in amusement. "Anyway, my point in telling you all of this is that as a governor to be, you must go out and make a good example of yourself. The first will be going home on that ship tomorrow and visiting your mother." Awareness returned to Gatz's numbed brain and he finally focused on Cedric.

"But I can't!" he said desperately. "I…I have to stay here!"

"And why is that? Are you ill?" Cedric asked, lifting an eyebrow. Wanting to lie but finding he was unable while Cedric held him in his authoritive stare, Gatz shifted uneasily.

"No, but…" he mumbled, but never finished his sentence. His chance with Sharmin was slipping away, and he felt helpless to stop it.

"Good, then I'll see you bright and early tomorrow." Cedric said with a smile, patting Gatz on the back before turning away. "You'll be molded into a great leader yet, young Windawood!" He walked down the hallway, waving to Gatz over his head. Gatz turned and shuffled towards his dorm room. He'd lost all time and chances he had now, Sharmin was in her dorm room and the girl's wing was forbidden for boys to enter. Sighing heavily, he opened the door to his room and entered, feeling strangely exhausted all of a sudden.

Gatz left Gludin as quickly as he could after the boat docked. He was again in a sour disposition. As they were leaving the Island harbor, he'd seen Sharmin standing on a cliff, watching the ship depart. She'd shouted something similar to a confession of feelings to Leon from her perch, but it seemed that Gatz had been the only one to hear it. He tried to pry out of the youth if he knew that Sharmin liked him, and what his feelings in return were, but Leon seemed oblivious to it, and his questions only confused him.

The visit to Windawood manor had been emotionally trying for him. His mother no longer recognized him, and kept asking for someone named Condola. It was after one frustrating visit to her room that Brenton took Gatz aside and revealed to him that he once had a twin. His umbilical cord had grown too long and had strangled his sister in utero; she had been born dead.

Being back at Windawood manor, seeing the places where he and Engelbert had once played had been taxing on Gatz's emotions. Learning this new thing drove him into a state of shock. He felt like he was a born killer, and began to doubt his worth as a person. Paying a visit of respect to the manor, Grand Master Ramos of Gludin saw the state the boy was in and reprimanded his father for being so cruel. He told Brenton that his worth had fallen since his wife had grown ill, and he was ashamed to recognize him as a Windawood. He took Gatz back to Gludin and began to privately tutor him in the last of his studies.

Gatz recovered under Ramos' guidance, and quickly excelled ahead to begin his tasks for his first profession. He chose to become a Warrior after talking with Ramos, finding that it suited his personality better than being a Knight or a Rogue. It was a tough decision, as Gatz always thought he was expected to follow in the footsteps of his father, uncle and cousin who passed away while he was young; they had all become Knights and Paladins and were well renowned by all.

His time away from Talking Island extended to two years, and he found his mind wandering back to the tiny Village there, and Sharmin. He didn't think that he still had a crush on her after all of this time, but he was concerned for her well being. Ryonai was right, she did somehow work her way under one's skin.

He began to make preparations to return to Talking Island one morning, and to his surprise ran into Koyori. She latched onto him the instant she saw him, relieved that she was finally with someone familiar again. Gatz tried his hardest to avoid her, but she only seemed to cling harder the more he ran from her.

She decided to accompany him back on the boat, and spent her time chattering at him about gossipy things he could care less of. She spoke frequently of how she was so much farther along in her magic studies than Komugi was. She had made Cleric before her, and planned on rubbing that in her long-time rival's face.

On the boat ride, a drunken passenger recognized Gatz, and made sure to tell everyone that he was to be the next Governor of Talking Island. A strange light fired to life inside of Koyori's eyes, and she latched onto his arm and began greeting people who came to speak with him as if she were his wife. This annoyed him, and he took every chance he could to escape her grip of death.

The instant they arrived at the harbor, however, shouts of distress met everyone on board's ears. Gatz only heard the words 'monster', 'attack' and 'village' before leaping from the boat before it had fully docked. Sword unsheathed, he raced in the direction of the village, worry etched into his face.

He could barely believe what he saw as he came upon the Village. Smoke poured from houses overhead, and he could hear the screams of death and shouts of battle from beyond the walls. Without stopping to assess the situation he charged headfirst through the gates. He blocked an axe blow with his sword the instant he set foot inside of the village. He pushed out of it, and then cut the green-skinned monstrosity across his throat before moving on.

"Sharmin?" he called, but his voice was lost in the shouts and screams. He grabbed a Werewolf by the scruff of its neck as it tried to tear the throat out of an elderly person and stabbed it through its chest. "Sharmin?" he shouted again, dropping the beast to the ground. There was a loud crash and a scream that sounded clearer to his ears than any other noise in the village from the direction Sharmin's house laid, and Gatz raced towards it. His heart leapt into his throat at the sight of Werewolves crawling into the windows. There was another scream and Sharmin's mother tried to launch herself out the window, bloodied and wounded, but was pulled back in before even reaching the window frame.

Gatz took a step towards the house, a look of shock on his face, but stopped as soon as Sharmin ran between the houses. She lacked expression, and was covered in specks of blood. Gatz dashed to her as he realized she meant to enter the home, and grabbed her around her arms to prevent her from seeing what he'd just seen. The rest of the fighters who'd been on the boat came racing in as he struggled to keep her from running into the house, putting an end to the monster's raid.

She passed out after screaming out all of the rage and sadness she felt with knowing that her parents were dead, and Gatz had her and Komugi brought to Sir Collin's house for the night. Not knowing what to do with such a mass of bodies, Sir Collin ordered that they be put in the worst damaged of the homes and burned in one collective funeral service. Sadly, that home was Sharmin's, the state of mutilation her parents had been in too much for anyone to have to clean up. It was a merciful decision on Sir Collin's behalf.

The girls were taken into the home of a woman named Mesella who lived some hours away from the Village. Gatz also stayed with them, trying to make sure they would settle in comfortably. It was during the walks that they'd take to scout the area for Orcs and Spiders that Gatz became aware that his feelings for Sharmin hadn't dissipated in the time they'd been away from each other. In fact, it was as if they'd intensified. There was something about her that he couldn't identify, which left him feeling helpless. He wanted to fix that, and protect her from everything that scared her.

Koyori inserted herself between them not long after the raid, and seemed stubbornly insistent that she'd stay with them as they scouted the area every day. This left Gatz with very little alone time with Sharmin once again, and it frustrated him. He'd purposely run into battle head-first to get as injured as possible, trying to wear the Cleric out from over-healing. Sadly, even while exhausted her will was stronger than expected, and she continued to cling.

One day, several months after the raid, Komugi emerged from the house while Koyori was going through her daily ritual of screeching at Gatz for being reckless, and fired a classic, Komugi-like retort at her. It had been a long time since anyone had heard Komugi be feisty, the raid had left her in a state of lasting shock after realizing her parents were dead and she'd been quiet since moving out of the village. Koyori was instantly distracted, and the girls returned to their classic verbal confrontation. Silently thanking Komugi for taking that moment to recover, Gatz took Sharmin by the hand and led her towards the Waterfalls.

He'd been thinking for a long time on how he would confess his feelings to Sharmin. He was determined to get his feelings across to her this time, no matter what. If she was truly as dense as Ryonai claimed she was, then he had the perfect way to let her know how he felt.

They sat underneath the Waterfall on a moss-covered rock, their conversation drifting towards Komugi and the insecurity Sharmin felt when compared to her. Gatz slowly inched closer to her as they talked, and to his delight she didn't seem to notice or mind. Hearing a noise behind them, he glanced over his shoulder to find who else but Leon himself killing spiders on a path some distance away from the falls. Cursing all of the luck, Gatz took that moment right then to take Sharmin by the chin and kiss her. It seemed to do the trick on letting her know his emotions, because she looked at him in surprise as he pulled away.

Feeling cocky because he'd laid claim to Sharmin, Gatz stood and confronted Leon. Sharmin reprimanded him for the insults that came from his mouth, and Gatz's heart fell as he realized his kiss had done nothing to sway her own feelings towards him, she was still as stubbornly rooted in her feelings for Leon as she'd always been. He left the Waterfall without a word, leaving Sharmin alone to reunite with Leon.

Depressed, Gatz decided on his walk back to the house that he could never match up to Leon in Sharmin's eyes. He bit back tears of humiliation and began making preparations to leave. Sharmin returned with Leon and two Elves, one the silver-haired Elf he'd seen before, and a new Dark Elf he'd never met.

After dinner he began to finalize his packing, and much to his surprise Sharmin emerged from the house to inquire why he was packing. Gatz made it clear that it was Leon's presence that was causing him to leave, and tried to convince Sharmin to come with him. She declined, claiming it was because of Komugi, but in his heart of hearts, Gatz knew it was because of Leon. He stole another kiss from her before leaving, hoping it would change her mind. She didn't budge however, and Gatz left without even a backwards glance.

Koyori was waiting for him down the path, and convinced him to let her come with, saying he needed a Cleric if he was going to rush headfirst into battle. The idea of staying with her for any extended period of time made him uneasy. He didn't feel like fighting her that night, however, and consented for her to accompany him.

They began to travel about Gludio and Dion territory together, strength training and running errands for townsfolk to make money. Gatz was restless, he felt like he should be doing something of importance, but didn't know what.

In the year that they traveled together, Koyori managed to convince him that he needed her in a way that was more than just a travel companion and healer of his physical wounds, and coaxed him into sharing a bed with her. He would never openly admit it, but the attention of a girl was more comforting than trying to increase his skill and strength, even if that girl was Koyori. His mind was focused completely on Sharmin each time they slept together, however, and more often than naught, Gatz fought back the childish urge to weep in grief over not having her.

Not being able to stand being around Koyori for much longer, Gatz separated from her in Gludin and began his tasks to prove himself worthy enough to become a Warlord. He liked the feel of a spear better than dual swords, and eagerly dove into learning how to wield one. The tasks would take him nearly two years to complete, but he wanted to get a head start just to be free of Koyori's controlling nature.

After nearly completing his first task, Gatz took a detour through the Fellmere Harvesting Grounds as he'd never been to the place before. While wandering about one foggy early morning, he happened across Sharmin lying half dead in the short grass near the Ruins of Agony. She'd been poisoned by what looked like a spider, and was in bad shape.

After force-feeding her some antidote, Gatz carried her to a broken-down house to try and nurse her back to health. A battle of wills took place within him while in her presence again, and he succumbed to her desire for closeness with someone and finally shared a bed with her. She was delirious from the poison, and Gatz was instantly riddled with guilt after all was said and done, as she probably didn't even know it was him.

Knowing that Koyori would come looking for him soon if he didn't hurry back to Gludin, Gatz carried Sharmin towards Windy Hill, hearing that there had been a small farming community there once. He happened across a house and left her outside the door, praying that the person inside would find her and care for her.

Time seemed to pass different for Gatz after that. Every day was slow and difficult to get through. He grew increasingly irritated with Koyori and wished to be rid of her despite the intimate nature of their companionship that continued even then.

While taking a curiosity detour through the Sea of Spores, they were caught by the Arachne Orfen, but later rescued by the silver-haired Light Elf. He learned her name was Narlafayn, and ended up confiding his guilt over leaving Sharmin alone with her. Again her advice was not what he wished to hear, but it made more sense this time. She was traveling with Ryonai and a group of Dark and Light Elves that he learned were part of a clan Ryonai had formed not long after becoming a Knight. Ryonai convinced both he and Koyori to join, and they became members of Haibane.

Gatz and Koyori accompanied the group back to the Elven Village, then set off on a mission with Ryonai to retrieve medicine needed to cure an Elven woman of Spore Sickness. After retrieving the medicine, they separated from the group to find work in Dion. Not long after entering the town, Gatz saw Sharmin again for only a moment as she disappeared with a Gatekeeper spell. Hearing him call Sharmin's name, Komugi emerged from the church.

He learned that Komugi and Sharmin had been separated for months, due to some strange circumstances. A Dark Elf named Valimos had latched on to Komugi for reasons that weren't divulged to Gatz, and insisted on accompanying the group. They found that Sharmin had gone to Oren, but none of them had the money to get there right away. So began an impatient detour into Breka's Stronghold, where they hunted Breka Orcs for mercenary money.

By the time they did make it to Oren, several weeks had passed, and Gatz feared Sharmin had moved on. After a depressing search through the city and not finding her, he and Koyori began to make plans to move on.

Amari met up with them in the town several days after their arrival, and delivered a message from Ryonai requesting all members of Haibane make their way to Heine. His spirits crushed over not finding Sharmin, and having nothing better to do, Gatz packed up and set out with Amari and Koyori.

They had just traveled past the road leading down from the hilltop fortress city, when they happened across a camp. As they drew closer, Gatz was surprised to see it belonged to Leon. Sharmin lay near a broken wagon, huddled under a blanket. By what he could see in the flickering firelight from the campfire, she looked bruised and beaten.

Leon took them aside and explained in a low voice that he'd found Sharmin lying naked to the north of their camp, in the forest. She hadn't spoken of what happened to her, but it was obvious given the fact that she was unclothed, and the location of some of the bruises on her body. His suspicions were later confirmed as a drunken man in knight's armor approached them later, and demanded that Leon return 'his woman.'

"No, let her rest." Leon said as Gatz attempted to return to the camp. "She'd probably be terrified of even you right now, especially upon waking her up." He put a restraining hand on Gatz's arm, keeping him from approaching her. Gatz jerked his arm from Leon's grasp and covered his face in his hands. He didn't know if he wanted to cry, or shout angrily. Rage began to build within him, and he slid his hands from his face.

"Amari, come with me would you?" Gatz asked, his voice hard.

"Sure thing!" Amari said lightly, instinctively knowing what it was Gatz was to do.

"What are you doing?" Koyori asked quickly, grabbing Gatz's arm. She had seen the way Gatz had been reaction to Sharmin's name whenever someone brought it up in conversation the past few months, and she didn't like it. "It's a bad thing, but don't get involved, let Leon take care of it." She pulled on him, trying to draw him back towards the campfire. Gatz glared at her with all of the hatred he was feeling at that moment, and Koyori released his arm in fear.

"Stay here." He commanded her, and stalked off into the darkness with Amari close behind.

"How are we going to find this guy? We don't know what he looks like or if he's even around still." Amari said logically as Gatz pushed his way through tall ferns.

"Fat, wearing knight's armor, drunk. I think that's plenty of a description." Gatz responded, angrily ripping a fern out by its roots and throwing it. There was a dim flickering of firelight several hundred feet ahead of them, and Gatz's eyes narrowed as they made out the form of a plump man wearing glinting armor, reclining in front of it. "Bingo." He growled.

"Didn't go far from the scene of the crime, did he." Amari said, impressed. Gatz didn't respond and the pair made their way through the ferns towards him.

"Who's there? Show yourself or I'll kill you!" the fat man said, jumping up as he heard them approach.

"Just a couple of travelers looking for a place to rest for the moment." Gatz answered, stepping into the range of light.

"So we weren't going to just kill him quickly and then move on? Well that stinks." Amari whispered. Gatz stiffened as he recognized the man's face. His name was Montavious, he'd been the town drunk back on Talking Island. He'd always eyeballed and made rude catcalls to Sharmin before, but he always figured Montavious did that to all girls. His rage built and he clenched a fist, wishing he'd done something to silence the man back then.

Montavious regarded them curiously for a moment before pulling himself up to his full height. "Fine, you can sit on your kiester here for a minute, but leave your weapons out there. I don't trust nobody."

"What, you're going to go along with it?" Amari hissed, shocked as Gatz laid down his spear. "What did we come here for then, just to spank him for being a bad boy? Gatz, c'mon!"

"I don't need a weapon for what I'm going to do to him." Gatz replied in a low voice. He made his way back over to the knight and crouched in front of the campfire, pretending to warm his hands.

"Cold night." Gatz said in a conversational tone. Montavious regarded him curiously for a moment before sitting back down heavily. He didn't seem to recognize him, and for once Gatz was happy that he'd never stood out back on Talking Island.

"Yeah, it'd be warmer for me though if that idiot hadn't gotten in my way." Montavious said, taking a drink from his mead bottle. Amari joined him at the campfire with a surprised expression. Gatz swallowed hard, trying to control his temper.

"What do you mean? Someone steal your travel pack? You could go into Oren and stay at the inn for cheap and be warm." Gatz offered. Again, Amari was impressed by the way Gatz controlled the temper in his voice to where he sounded like a friendly traveler making pleasant conversation. Montavious responded by laughing shortly into his bottle as he took another swig.

"Don't need no bed and blankets like some rich pretty boy. I'm a real man; all I need is a sharpened sword, a bottle of good mead and a warm body at my side. I have the first two but there's a pretty boy at a camp not far from here keeping me from my third. That's my property; she loves me, not hi..." Montavious never got to finish his testosterone speech as Gatz launched himself at him, pinning him to the ground with his hands at his neck. "What are you doing you idiot! Let go!" Montavious strained. Amari stomped on his arm as he tried to lift the bottle and crack it against Gatz's head. The arm cracked beneath his boot, and Montavious let out a gurgling yelp of pain.

"You…you raped Sharmin." Gatz said, so full of rage he could barely find his voice. "What in this great world makes you think she'd ever love scum like you?" He squeezed harder, Montavious' head turning purple. Montavious' eyes widened at Gatz's words, and he began to struggle. He somehow found strength and pushed Gatz off of him roughly.

"Oh I see, that pretty boy sent someone after me to do his dirty work. I see how it is, can't even fight me man to man." Montavious spat.

"Can I kill him now? Really, one spell to the gut…" Amari asked, helping Gatz stand. Gatz didn't respond, and pulled away from Amari as Montavious drew his sword and ran at them with a shout. Gatz pulled a burning branch from the campfire and wielded it like a sword, ready for Montavious' next move.

"On second thought, maybe you're right. That little slut couldn't even keep herself pure for me!" Montavious continued, spitting once. "I was the first to bang her out of my buddies and she wasn't even a virgin, how humiliating is that? I ask for so little and she goes and sleeps with pretty boy back there…"

Gatz snarled in rage and swung the branch before Montavious finished talking, cracking the man upside the head and causing him to drop the sword as his hair caught on fire. He dropped to the ground and began rolling. Gatz lifted his sword and held the point underneath the larger man's nose as he lay panting on the ground once the fire was out.

"Can I spell him now? Pleeeeease?" Amari begged like a child, his own temper lit from Montavious' words. Montavious looked at Gatz in fear, whimpering deep in his throat.

"Because only lewd words work with you, let me spell it out for you clearly." Gatz began, panting in anger. "Sharmin…wasn't a virgin because she's mine, get it? Not Leon's, not anyone else's, but mine." Montavious' eyes widened with his words, and his lip began to tremble at the look of murderous rage on Gatz's face.

"Well, that was more than I needed to know…" Amari stated, turning away with his hand to his head.

"You…you're that Windawood brat…what would Sir Collin say if he saw you now…?" he whispered. He whimpered loudly as Gatz nicked his chin with the sword tip to silence him.

"How many?" Gatz demanded angrily. When Montavious didn't answer, Gatz nicked his chin again. "How many men were with you?" Gatz demanded louder.

"Three! There were three besides me!" Montavious cried, the sword hitting bone.

"Where are they now?" Gatz asked, his arm trembling with anger. Montavious let out a blubbering whimper, tears springing into his eyes.

"I don't know, they ran away once they sobered up. Said they were ashamed that I talked them into sharing my woman." Montavious sniffled. Gatz growled loudly and grabbed Montavious by the tunic peeking out of his armor and lifted him with surprising strength.

"I told you, she's NOT YOUR WOMAN." He snarled. He threw him with one arm, and Montavious fell backwards onto a log that he'd previously been using to sit on.

"Ok this pissing contest is getting really boring. So she's your woman, let's just kill him already!" Amari whined. He had retrieved his staff from the ground and had his arms folded around it.

"No, killing him would be too good." Gatz said in an even voice. He turned away from Montavious in thought, and the knight relaxed, thinking him safe. Gatz growled again and swung Montavious' sword quickly, bringing it down and cleaving the knight's left hand off. Montavious howled in pain and failed, blood spurting out of the wound and speckling Gatz's face and armor. He pulled Montavious up to his feet as the man doubled over and began to cry. "Run and maybe you'll live." Gatz said darkly, pushing the man towards the forest. Montavious looked between him and the smirking Dark Elf before clutching his bleeding wrist to his chest and dashing into the woods. "Count to ten and then do whatever." Gatz told him.

"In separate numbers or a multiple that equals ten?" Amari asked intelligently.

"Whichever pleases you more." Gatz shrugged, turning away. Amari grinned darkly and held his hands in front of his chest.

"Ten." He said after reciting a quick multiple. He chanted a wind twister spell and launched it at Montavious' retreating back. It cut through his armor and laid him flat on his stomach. Amari watched for a moment, but Montavious didn't get up.

Gatz sunk to the ground as Amari cracked his knuckles in satisfaction, and doubled over, covering his head with his hands. He began to sob loudly and rocked slightly, ashamed of himself for leaving Sharmin alone in the first place. The more he thought about how just that one thing of taking her with him when he found her ill all those months ago could've prevented this entire thing, the harder he cried.

They finally left Montavious' camp near dawn when the sounds of a traveling party met their ears. Not wanting to face any sort of law as it appeared they'd just attacked a harmless drunk, they retreated back towards Oren. They approached Leon's camp first, and Sharmin stood as they appeared in the morning fog.

Gatz stared at her for a moment, breathing in shaky breaths as he resisted the urge to cry upon seeing her again. He wanted to hug and protect her still, but he was still ashamed of himself and too eaten with guilt to even step into the camp area. He still recalled Leon's words from the night before, and didn't want to see her afraid of his touch. It'd break his heart even more to see her recoil from him.

"Gatz…what have you done?" Sharmin breathed, noticing the blood that still decorated him. Gatz looked away from her, feeling not worthy enough for her concern.

"What needed to be done." He replied, and then walked away from her and into Oren. Koyori gave him a harsh verbal spanking as soon as she saw him again; angry that he got involved in something that she felt only concerned Sharmin and Leon. His nerves on edge, Gatz snapped at her to be silent. The suddenly forcefulness in his voice, something she'd never heard from him before, drew her up short and she remained of few words the entire trip back to Heine.

Amari separated from them upon arriving in the floating city, and left with his brother Vlad and a Light Elf friend of his named Aerin for the Garden of Eva. He and Koyori were invited to come along, but he declined, feeling more like sulking to himself than anything. Upon their return, he learned that Sharmin had been down there with Leon, and a strange occurrence happened; a gateway to what appeared to be another world opened up, and Sharmin had been sucked into it.

Again Gatz went into a mild state of shock, and mourned the fact that he could never do right by Sharmin. Ryonai, annoyed with Gatz's constant state of depression, took him out and beat some sense into him. He told Gatz that Sharmin was not completely lost to them, that Komugi was searching for a way to bring her back. He told Gatz that the reason why he always seemed to fail with Sharmin was that he was worrying too much about other people at the wrong times. He assured him that Sharmin would be back, and he's get his chance again soon.

The talk seemed to have some sort of healing quality upon Gatz, and within a few days he left Heine with renewed strength. He returned to Talking Island for a year to learn a bit about politics under his uncle's assistant before returning to the mainland and working as an intern to the Chamberlain of the Lord of Gludio. It was hard to say what Koyori did in that year they were apart, but Gatz would never admit he almost missed her incessant nagging. Halfway through the second year his internship ended, and he was sent to Aden for a political gathering. Koyori was waiting for him in Gludio as he left the castle, and insisted on following him to Aden.

And here is where we leave Gatz Windawood en route to Aden, and move on to the rest of the story.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_Sharmin in Bastok _

Sharmin was experiencing the strangest sensation as she was sucked between dimensions. It was suffocating, and she felt as if she were moving through silkened jelly. Some sort of invisible hand had gripped her waist, and was pulling her through a crystallized barrier. The jelly gave way to air, and Sharmin yelled as she fell through it. She landed hard on her back, and rolled over onto her side in pain.

"Oh dearsy-wearsy me!" a small voice exclaimed. "This isn't-wisn't good! You're not the one Altana wanted!" Sharmin looked up, still wincing in pain, to find a strange little person standing on a stool in front of a book on a pedestal. The person had a small body and a large round head which the shape of reminded Sharmin of an onion. Tiny spectacles sat on the end of his button-like nose and he inspected Sharmin distastefully.

"Where am I?" Sharmin demanded, jumping to her feet and staring at her surroundings in fear. She was in a circular stone room, books of all shapes and sizes piled up in tall, towering stacks around her. "Where is everyone?"

"This is no good-wood." The tiny person said sadly, shaking his large head. He sighed heavily before pushing his glasses up his nose and turning away from Sharmin. "Oh well, guess we'll have to make do with what we have!"

"What are you talking about? Tell me where I am!" Sharmin demanded, following the short person as he waddled out of the room.

"Hmm…we can't keep-weep you here…Bastok might be a good-wood place for you!" the person said happily, ignoring her. Sharmin's eyes widened, recognizing the name.

"Bastok? I'm in Narlafayn's old world?" she breathed; dread sitting itself in her chest like a heavy rock. "I can't be here, send me back to Aden!" She darted in front of the small person as he didn't stop walking or even look at her. "Please, send me back!" she pleaded again. The small person squinted up at her and wrinkled his nose as he tried to line his glasses up with his eyes to see her better.

"No can do-woo." The person said, taking of his spectacles and wiping them clean. "Travel between worlds is not just something-wumthing anyone can do. Our goddess Altana made a deal with your cardinal goddess to open the door between our worlds for a short time." He put his spectacles back on his nose and continued down the hallway. More small people began darting back and forth in front of them the farther down the hall they traveled, and Sharmin began to feel she were in some sort of fairy land.

The hallway opened up to air, and Sharmin looked around herself with wide eyes. She was in a lush, humid land. Moisture clung to her skin the instant she left the cool stone hallway. All around her ran the small people, a few girls a bit shorter than her interspersed between them. The girls all had tawny skin and a feline quality to their faces. Ears poked through their hair and from the seat of their pants waved a cat-like tail.

"Can't you just contact your Altana and have her send me back? Please, I didn't mean to come here, I was just trying to keep Narlafayn from getting hurt!" Sharmin tried again, breaking away from staring at the strange creatures around her.

"Altana cannot be contacted that easily, dear child." Another voice suddenly said.

"The Star Sybil!" the small person standing next to Sharmin suddenly exclaimed, and laid himself flat against the ground. Sharmin blinked in confusion to find yet another tiny person standing in front of her, this one flanked by an armor wearing cat-person. The cat-person had been the one to speak, but the tiny person looked up at Sharmin as if it had been her voice.

"You are most definitely not of this world; everyone else would fall prone in respect to be faced with the Star Sybil." The cat woman said with a smile. "I am Semih Lafihna, head guard to the Star Sybil. Please, come with us." To the smaller person trembling in fear at Sharmin's ankles she said; "You've done well Telmus-Selufumus; The Star Sybil thanks you for assisting in the spell." Telmus-Selufumus nodded without moving, his head scraping against the wooden planks. "This way." Semih Lafihna said, motioning for Sharmin to follow.

"If Altana can't be easily contacted then please tell me what I must do to return home." Sharmin asked as she was led towards a tall, vine-covered building. "Why won't anyone talk to me when I ask them questions?" Sharmin exclaimed in frustration. Semih Lafihna turned around and lifted a finger to her lips, giving Sharmin a stern look.

"Some things are not proper for us to speak of out here." She said in a low voice. "There are ears listening and eyes watching that not even we can see." She glanced around them almost fearfully before drawing Sharmin inside the building. The Star Sybil waddled up to a raised platform and pulled herself into the chair there. She leaned her head against the back of the chair and shut her eyes, as if concentrating. "Alright, it's safe now." Semih Lafihna said in relief.

The room that Sharmin found herself in was vine-covered like the outside, and butterflies fluttered about to flowers blooming through the cracks in the floor. It was all very pretty, and she smiled to herself at how Komugi would probably love a place like this. Shaking her head to clear the distraction, she focused on the tiny person and the cat woman that now sat at the foot of the platform.

"You were not the one Altana sought to return to this world." The Star Sybil suddenly said. Her voice was small, but held great wisdom. Her eyes were still shut, and she spoke as if she were listening to someone talking to her inside of head.

"You cannot be sent back unless someone opens the gate on the other side. Altana is not powerful enough to pry open your world's barriers; no god is." Semih Lafihna said sadly, giving Sharmin a pitying look. Sharmin sunk to her knees heavily, the gravity of the situation finally breaking through.

"What am I to do then?" Sharmin asked in a small voice, staring into the air. "I don't know this world…I don't belong here!"

"Then you must make yourself belong." Semih Lafihna said simply, drawing Sharmin's attention. "From now on, you are a…" she inspected her quickly, as if looking for ears like hers, "…Hume of Vana'diel. Please do your best and become strong." A light flared forth as she smiled, and Sharmin's voice of protest was lost in a great rush of air. When the light cleared, she found herself, still on her knees, in front of the grey stone fountain she'd seen from the portal in the Garden of Eva. The tears that she'd been holding back came forth then, and several people traveling about the square stopped to look at her curiously as she doubled over to cry.

Three months passed quickly. Sharmin was found wandering aimlessly by city guards, and set up within a simple, yet comfortable room in their residential district. A small white creature that reminded Sharmin of a teddy bear was her own personal housekeeper. He had tiny purple bat-like wings on his back and a large pack slung over one shoulder. His feet never seemed to touch the ground as he flitted this way and that, caring for the plant growing in the one flowerpot that Sharmin had found, or making sure everything was tidy. He wasn't much for conversation however, and much of Sharmin's time was spent in silence while she was in her room.

Finding her Chain Mail armor to be gaining too many strange looks, Sharmin had reluctantly pawned it for money and purchased a set of black and rust-colored plate armor. It was much heavier than the chain mail, and she regretted selling it the first day wearing the plate. Shields were decidedly smaller as well, and Sharmin was baffled as to how it provided adequate protection.

To curb boredom, Sharmin began exploring the vast city of Bastok and the lands of Gustaberg outside of it. Gustaberg was barren and cold, hardly any plant or animal life thrived outside of the city walls other than goblins and insects or lizards. It was much different from the lush greenery she'd seen in the land she'd arrived in.

The way of wielding a sword was different here, and she received many strange looks from fellow explorers when she had to fight off turtle-like beast men called Quadav while out. Slowly but surely, even though her heart was not in it, Sharmin began making her own way in the world called Vana'diel.

Like in Aden, the city folk of Bastok would come to those who wielded a sword or knew magic and make requests of them. Although not officially registered as an 'adventurer', Sharmin soon found herself among them, carrying out errands.

During one such errand Sharmin found herself wandering farther from Bastok's gates than she'd ever gone before. It was after dark, another odd time for Sharmin to be outside Bastok, but the monster she sought only came out at night. She sighed in frustration and scanned the rocky landscape for any signs of a black wolf-the beast she'd been asked to find. Grumbling to herself as no beasts turned up as the moon began to set, Sharmin turned to retreat back to town. She was cold and tired, and wanted to sleep before dawn.

"Hume!" she heard a guttural voice squawk as she ran over a hill. Sharmin skidded to a stop and looked over her shoulder with large eyes to find three of the Quadav creatures chasing after her.

"Where did those come from?" she asked herself as she turned to face them. Just as she had drawn her sword, a bright light surrounded one of the Quadav and knocked him forward. He and his companions let out more squawks and turned to run back in the direction they had come. Standing some feet away from her was a tall youth with blonde hair wearing brown mage robes. He had his eyes shut in concentration, and one finger raised to his lips as he cast another spell.

Another bright light spell hit the first Quadav again, and he suddenly disappeared, leaving only his shell. Realizing the other two had converged upon him quicker than expected; the youth turned and attempted to run away. One Quadav wielding a staff squawked loudly and swung it, catching the youth in the middle of his back, knocking the air from his lungs and laying him flat.

Her Paladin training still active in her mind, Sharmin used the spell she learned back in her world that would draw the monster's attention from their current target. It blinded them to everyone but her, and they turned and ran back towards her. She held her sword ready as they charged, and parried the blow one with a sword swung at her with her shield.

"Ooh hey, turtle soup!" an excited voice exclaimed. Sharmin looked up in surprise as a tawny-colored blur suddenly leapt from atop a tall rock and landed on the shoulders of the Quadav wielding the staff. It began to squawk and swing the staff around precariously, too stupid to know how to aim at anything higher than eye level. "I'd get that other one if I were you." A pink-haired cat girl (a race Sharmin learned was called Mithra) said with a toothy grin. She quickly shut her mouth and focused on the Quadav in front of her, thrusting her sword forward and stabbing between two of the armored plates on its belly. It groaned as it fell, dead with only one blow. "Hey, you're not too bad!" the Mithra exclaimed, still riding on the shoulders of the staff wielding Quadav and beating on his head like a drum. "Might wanna go check on handsome over there, I think he's crying. Don't worry, I'll take care of ugly here." She said, motioning to the blonde youth still lying on the ground.

"Uh…thanks." Sharmin managed out in bewilderment before dashing over to the youth. She knelt beside him and put a concerned hand on his shoulder as the Mithra behind her cackled in glee. "Are you all right?" she asked the boy gently.

"Man, that's humiliating. I was supposed to be the hero in this scenario." The youth said, lifting himself up with a sheepish grin. He winced and put a hand to the spot where the Quadav's staff had hit him. Sharmin's breath caught in her throat and she blushed slightly at the sight of him; he was the spitting image of Leon!

"I'm sorry." She said automatically, her mind dumbed. He chuckled as she helped him to his feet. He was the same height as Leon too! His blonde hair didn't completely cover his eye like Leon's did, however, and he was already much more expressive in the twenty seconds that she'd been talking to him than Leon ever was in the years she'd known him.

"No problem, I'll just try harder next time." He said, winking. "My name is Laith, what's yours cutie?" Sharmin blinked rapidly several times. Did she just hear the word 'cutie' come from a face that looked like Leon's?

"Sh…" she began, but the rest of the air was knocked from her chest as the Mithra pounced on her from behind.

"I'm so happy to see you!" she exclaimed, hugging Sharmin tightly from behind. Again Sharmin blinked rapidly and looked over her shoulder at the shorter girl. She looked up at Sharmin with sparkling eyes, and once again Sharmin found someone resembling an important person from Aden; the Mithra looked like Komugi.

"Why are you happy to see me?" she asked curiously. "We've never met before."

"I know, and I'm not sure why either, but I am!" the Mithra said, her voice strange as her throat seized with emotion. Her grip suddenly went lax and she crumpled to the ground. Sharmin spun around and tried to catch her before she hit the rocks.

"Hey, are you all right?" she exclaimed. She lifted the Mithra up by her shoulders and shook her lightly. "Hey, wake up!" The Mithra, still smiling lightly, only groaned slightly and shifted.

"That's quite an exhausted kitty. I think she's asleep." Laith said. "Should we find a camp for her somewhere?" he rose up and began glancing around the barren rocks, searching for any signs of life other than the beasts and Quadav.

"She'll be safer in Bastok, let's head back." Sharmin said in a deciding tone, lifting up the Mithra by placing a hand at her back and one behind her knees. "I have one of those residential houses, she can go there.

"You mean a Mog House?" Laith corrected, lifting an eyebrow as he followed her. "They don't usually allow two people in one of those though, the Mogs get stressed when they have to take care of more than one person…"

"My Mog will have to deal then." Sharmin said in a low voice, shutting her eyes into a thin line. Her Mog had been so agreeable before, she was unsure if he could actually show any emotions. "My name's Sharmin by the way." Laith paused in walking to stare into the sky.

"Sharmin…what a comforting name." He said dreamily, as if committing her name to his memory.

"Sounds like toilet paper…" the Mithra slurred in her sleep, and then giggled. Sharmin cast an annoyed glare at her, unsure if she were responding to their conversation or mumbling from a dream.

As Laith had said, Sharmin's Mog began protesting and arguing the instant Sharmin entered her Mog house with the Mithra in her arms. She promptly told him to can it or leave, and the Mog silenced immediately. There was a code of honor amongst the Moogle that made it so that if they were fired by an employer, they'd forever be ostracized from Moogle society. Despite this, Sharmin was relieved that her Mog wasn't completely devoid of active emotions.

She laid the Mithra on her simple oak bed, and tucked her in. "Sissy…" the Mithra murmured, keeping a hold on Sharmin's arm as she tried to back away. A wistful smile touched Sharmin's face and she knelt down beside the bed. The Mithra did remind her of Komugi, and it made her heart ache to be near her. She brushed a lock of hair from the cat girl's face, idly wondering if one would call the color red or rose. The Mithra's hair was thick; two locks fell around her face to frame it while the rest was pulled back into a high pony tail. She had brown tiger-like stripes on her cheeks, a trait common to many Mithran.

Sharmin emerged from the Mog House several hours later, feeling wearier than before, but unable to sleep due to the intruder in her bed. To her surprise, Laith was standing outside, waiting for her. He smiled at her as she approached, and took up a casual pace next to her.

"Would you like to go get something to eat? There's an inn over by the harbor that serves great food…" he asked casually. Sharmin gave him a tired half smile and chuckled in amusement.

"Are you asking me out on a date?" she asked coyly.

"Maybe." Laith responded, his grin widening. "So what do you say?" Sharmin thought for a moment, and to her surprise found that she was actually uneasy to go anywhere with him. He resembled Leon, but his personality was so vastly different, it felt strange to flirt with him. Still, food did sound good, and he seemed friendly enough…

"Sure." She finally said with a smile.

Laith was good company the hour they spent together. She found that he was a Red Mage, a kind of magic user that used both black and white magics. He'd been returning to Bastok from Mhuara, a port town located in the desert of Valkurm when he saw the Quadav attacking her. He admitted quite boldly that he'd been watching her for a bit before helping, entranced by her method of swordplay. After eating, he invited her to accompany him to the lighthouse just outside the northern Bastok gateway to watch the sunrise. She declined, feeling too tired and awkward to spend much more time with him.

She returned to her Mog house to find her Mog sulking in the corner with her potted plant, glaring at her as she moved across the floor. Ignoring him, she pulled an extra blanket and pillow from her storage chest and set up a bed on the floor. After shedding her armor, she laid down gratefully and was asleep before her blankets had even settled around her body.

She woke several hours later, and found herself, to her surprise, in her own bed. Groggy, she sat up and rubbed her eyes, and looked around her Mog House curiously.

"I made you breakfast, but your pet ate it." Her Mog stated bitterly, glaring at her from the foot of her bed. Sharmin blinked at him in confusion, not exactly sure what he was speaking of.

"Pet?" she asked, her voice raspy. She yelped in surprise as the Mithra bounced out of nowhere and landed on the foot of her bed. She grinned mischievously, and the end of her tail twitched back and forth. The tip of one cat-like canine poked over her lips, giving her a very devilish look.

"Hi there!" she exclaimed. She latched on to Sharmin's shoulders and began to lick her cheeks enthusiastically.

"Hold up, hold up!" Sharmin laughed, the girl's tongue tickling her. She removed her from her shoulders and sat her calmly back on the bed. "Thanks but I don't usually wash my face before waking up…" Again the resemblance to Komugi, as she used to wake Sharmin up in a similar manner when they lived back on Talking Island. "First things first," she began once the Mithra was sitting calmly at her feet, "what's your name and why were you looking for me?"

"Kalline." The Mithra responded. "I can't say I was really looking for you per se, I was just looking for some_one_." She casually inspected her claw-like fingernails as she spoke, as if disinterested in Sharmin's question.

"I'm not sure if I'm following you." Sharmin said slowly, turning her head slightly. The Mithra sighed heavily through her nose and looked to the ceiling and shrugged. She lifted her hand to her mouth and began to chew on her fingernails.

"Can't explain it better than that. I left Windurst looking for _someone_, and I found you, simple as that." She said, already bored with the conversation. "Anyway, we should go do something! It's been forever since we've gone out and had a girl's day, let's go!" Kalline stated her eyes suddenly alive and sparkling.

"Now you're being strange, we've never met before." Sharmin frowned. Kalline's happy smile dropped and she leaned in close to Sharmin's face, her eyes squinted into a glare.

"Don't ruin the glow. Let's just go do something." She said in an even voice.

Sharmin sighed heavily several hours later as Kalline stood in the crowd gathered around the auction house, shouting out prices for the items that the auctioneer displayed. Kalline had already nearly spent all of her money and part of Sharmin's on food and jewelry, and there seemed to be no end in sight to her spree. She presented an argument with every protest Sharmin attempted to voice, silencing her with the resemblance to Komugi's splurge reasoning.

"Having fun?" Laith's voice came above the shouts of the eager crowd of buyers. Sharmin lifted her head and blinked in startled surprise as she realized Laith was standing next to her. She hadn't noticed his presence until he spoke. He relaxed beside her on the wall she'd placed herself against in wait, and sighed as if it were comfortable. "So how is our feline friend today? She's much livelier than she was yesterday." He commented as Kalline began to hop eagerly with a jewelry set that was brought out for auction.

"Yeah, she reminds me of my sister." Sharmin chuckled, as Kalline began to snarl angrily at a girl who outbid her on the jewelry.

"Oh? Where is your sister now, in another city?" Laith inquired curiously.

"Something like that…" Sharmin answered with a nervous smile. Laith tilted his head at her, waiting for her to continue, but Sharmin averted her gaze and returned to watching Kalline. The Mithra was arguing with the girl who'd outbid her now, and the scene reminded her of Komugi arguing with Koyori. She chuckled lightly to herself in memory, trying to cover the ache of homesickness that suddenly hit her.

"Would you like to do something later?" Laith asked after a moment of silence. Sharmin gave him a look of surprise. "Please?" he added, giving her a pleading look that made her melt.

"Bring this junk up here!" a man with a smoke-raspy voice shouted. He bumped into Sharmin just as she had opened her mouth to respond to Laith, causing her to stumble forward. Laith raised his arms and caught her as she was propelled into his chest, and Sharmin looked up at him with a blush high in her cheeks. Pushing herself away from him in embarrassment, Sharmin cleared her throat, and turned her attention on the man that had bumped into her. He and another were carrying a wooden stretcher full of trinkets towards the Auction House. A book fell from the pile and at Sharmin's feet, and she picked it up curiously.

It was a diary, she realized, as she flipped through it. My _mother just won't tell me the names of my parents…I guess she didn't know them after all,_ the page read. _Maybe I'll never find out why they gave me this weird name. Narlafayn, heh. Who would name their kid Narlafayn? Gnarly, dude. Ha ha. _

"Excuse me, where did this come from?" Sharmin asked, her eyes large and her heart thudding in her chest. The two men heaved the stretcher over the counter before gracing her with their attention.

"Mrs. Eadóchas' house, that's where. Poor woman couldn't stand looking at the junk cluttering her rooms any longer so she's sending it to be auctioned." The smoke-raspy voiced man said, rotating his shoulder. "She lives down by the Goldsmiths guild, why? Do you see something you'd like here?" Sharmin didn't respond, and instead broke into a run towards the Goldsmiths guild.

"Hey Sharmin, where are you going?" Kalline called, emerging from the Auction House crowd. She turned a swift glare onto Laith. "Did you make her cry?" she demanded, narrowing her eyes. He held up his hands in a motion of peace and gave her a nervous half-smile as she peered into his face.

Sharmin raced as fast as she could through the town, her eyes large and staring. Someone who knew Narlafayn was still in Bastok! Perhaps she could tell her how Narlafayn made it into Aden, and she could return home the same way! A surprising pang of guilt hit her heart at this thought, and she suddenly felt bad at the thought of leaving Kalline and Laith behind. _Don't be silly_, she told herself firmly, _you just met them, and they're strangers._

She stumbled to a halt in front of one of the white washed houses that made up the richer part of Bastok. A brown haired, middle-aged woman stood up quickly from watering the flowers in her flower box and looked at Sharmin in bewilderment. "Can I help you?" the woman asked, holding her watering can protectively. Breathless, Sharmin couldn't find her voice quick enough and instead shoved Narlafayn's diary out to the woman.

"This…" Sharmin panted. The woman glanced between it and Sharmin warily, and lifted an eyebrow at her.

"Yes, that's a book." She confirmed, taking a step away from Sharmin and towards her front door. "I'm not a librarian I'm afraid, so if you'll excuse me…" the woman hastily turned to re-enter her house, not masking her eagerness to be out of Sharmin's presence.

"I know…Narlafayn." Sharmin tried again, and then coughed. She wasn't out of shape; it was odd that she was having such a hard time catching her breath now. This did the trick though, and the woman paled as she stared at Sharmin in shock, rooted to the spot.

"What did you just say?" the woman whispered.

"She's in my world now, please, tell me how she got there." Sharmin pleaded. The woman recovered from her stupor and shook her head rapidly to clear it. After checking around herself quickly to make sure no one had heard her speak, she snatched Sharmin by the wrist and dragged her into the house.

"I don't know who you are girl, but it's dangerous to just go about and talking such fantasy nonsense!" the woman scolded as she shut the door. "As is waving that book around, where did you get it?" She snatched it from Sharmin's hands without a word and clutched it to her chest as if it were a baby.

"You put it with the stuff to be auctioned, the men told me." Sharmin said, frowning. The woman looked at her with large eyes again, as if Sharmin had uttered something nasty.

"No, never this. That was a mistake." She whispered, leaning down to place her lips against the top of the book. "This is all I have left of her, after she died. You do a cruel thing by taunting me with tales of her living." Tears dripped from her eyes and she hastily wiped at them.

"I'm not taunting, Narlafayn is alive and well in my world. You see, I was brought here by mistake by your goddess Altana…at least, that's what the Star Sybil told me…she had intended on bringing Narlafayn back after making a deal with Einhasad, who's the cardinal goddess of my world, but things went wrong and…." Sharmin broke off to take a breath, and then paused before launching into the rest of her story. The woman in front of her had a look belying on hatred forming on her face, and Sharmin knew she didn't believe her story. "Wait, Narlafayn is dead?" she finally asked, realizing what it was that the woman had said.

"Yes, she died in San D'Oria." The woman responded curtly, squaring her shoulders. "I told her never to become an adventurer, but she did anyway. My poor little girl…and this is all I have left to mourn her by…not even a body to bury…"

"That's impossible, she's alive and well in my world." Sharmin said. She slid against the door to her bottom in bewilderment. "How could that be?" She lifted her head quickly and inspected the woman standing in front of her. "Wait, maybe we're not talking of the same Narlafayn…maybe it's just a name coincidence… You're human…Narlafayn is an Elf…"

"Elvaan." The woman corrected with a proud sniff. "And the problem with that is?"

"Silver hair…kind of outspoken for an Elf…? Acts more like a human?" Sharmin ticked off on her fingers. She didn't know Narlafayn well, but that was the distinct impression she'd gotten from her before.

"Yes, that's my little girl. She was never one for flowery speeches and told you exactly what she thought." The woman answered, her voice choking with emotion. "Please, if you're just going to taunt me, please leave…"

"Oh dear Lord we are talking of the same person." Sharmin stated in despair. "How did she die? I don't mean to dredge up bad memories ma'am, but please…I think the only way I can get back home is if I know what happened to her…"

The woman stared at Sharmin as if seeing her for the first time, and then knelt slowly to look at her in the eyes. She squinted slightly, inspecting her face, before her lips parted slightly in surprise with what she found. "You aren't from this world, are you." She breathed in wonder. "Your eyes…they look in a different direction than the eyes of those around me." She took Sharmin's hands in hers, her face lighting up. "And you say my little girl is alive there? Oh please, tell me if she remembers me! Can you bring her here? Can you bring me there? I want nothing more than to hold her again!"

Sharmin swallowed hard against the lump that had suddenly risen in her throat. Seeing a mother so concerned for her daughter brought back memories of her own mother, and once again made her homesick. Her mother had been dead for years of course, but she never stopped missing her. She felt jealous that Narlafayn still had a mother, even though she was a world away.

"I don't know her personally, that well." Sharmin admitted sadly. "But last I saw her; she was still alive and healthy. She's a Knight now."

"Still wielding that sword." The woman chuckled to herself. "I don't know how it's possible, but I believe your story is true. Please forgive my earlier rudeness." She smiled warmly, which Sharmin felt her face automatically echoing. "My name is Zeal and I…"she paused for a moment and glanced to the celing, her brow creasing in worry. "Oh fiddlesticks, I mustn't be scared any more." She murmured to herself. She stood and pulled out a chair from the kitchen table and sat before continuing. "I adopted Narlafayn after her parents were killed in the Crystal War twenty-two years ago. No one in San D'Oria wanted her, you see. They were frightened of her by something I had yet to find out." Zeal took a breath and glanced around herself, her face pale. "I was told her parents were strange, they looked Elvaan but yet were not, with skin as pale as ours, and height only half of what the Elvaan have. They had powers that no one had ever seen before in this world, and could commune with the spirits of nature."

"They were Elves?" Sharmin found herself saying curiously. "How would Elves get to this world? Did someone pull them in like I was?" Zeal shook her head rapidly, and clutched Narlafayn's diary to her chest tighter.

"No one knows how they came to live in San D'Oria…the old woman that once stayed with them claimed that they just popped into existence in the middle of the city one day. Soon after, any one who approached the couple would be approached by….oh I dare not say his name…I fear he's already listening to me…" Zeal looked around herself in fright, sweat beading on her forehead. "No…I know he's listening to me, I can feel his presence…"

"Who?" Sharmin asked. She felt no presence except the one of Zeal's, which was growing increasingly frightened.

"He came to us all who became close to her. He told us what she was, and where she came from, and what she had done in the past. He told us the same would happen to our cities, to our world if we grew to love her. She would surely betray us all. He also swore that if we were to speak of her truth, even to her, we would surely be ki…" Zeal broke off, her eyes large and staring. Sharmin jumped to her feet quickly as a bearded man wearing a richly embroidered robe suddenly appeared behind her and placed his hands on either side of her face.

"You would surely be killed for your transgression against me." He said with a dark grin. Watching Sharmin the whole while and his grin unfading, the man began to press on the sides of Zeal's face like a vice. Sharmin turned and bolted at the first sound of a bone popping, and dashed into the city.

"Hey, whoa! What's the matter, you look like you've seen a ghost!" Laith's voice came, catching her as she dashed by. Sharmin gasped loudly and jerked her arm out of his grip, startled by his sudden presence.  
>"Sharmin? What's the matter?" Kalline asked in concern, putting a hand on her shoulder as Sharmin doubled over slightly with frightened shivers. The presence of that man had been more disturbing than the fate she was sure Zeal had succumbed to. It felt like her very core had been violated in means she couldn't even begin to describe, just by breathing the same air as him.<p>

"I need to get out of this city." Sharmin said through chattering teeth, hugging herself. Her armor suddenly felt ice cold and heavier than usual. Her head snapped up quickly, her eyes large. "I need to go to San D'Oria, I must leave now." Woodenly, Sharmin began to walk at a brisk pace towards her Mog House. "I need to go there…where she said Narlafayn died…" Laith gave Kalline a questioning look, and the Mithra shrugged, not understanding what Sharmin was speaking of.

"Well, you go where you want, but I'm coming with you." Kalline announced, following Sharmin into her Mog House.

"NO." Sharmin said loudly. Realizing she'd used too much force with her word, she lowered her tone and repeated, "No."

"I'm coming with you too." Laith said, folding his arms over his chest. "You're just a fighter and a thief; you'll need a red mage to round out the party." He grinned, feeling triumphant with his reasoning.

"No, I don't think you guys should get involved in this." Sharmin said, dashing around her Mog House to pack.

"Too late, don't know what it is, but we're already aiding and abetting by just standing here calmly." Kalline said with a smirk, grabbing a spare pack from Sharmin's armor box and stuffing it with supplies. "So what's in San D'Oria?" Sharmin opened her mouth in protest, and then shut it again at the no-nonsense look Kalline was giving her.

"The way home." Sharmin said grimly, not sure what she was going to find there, and even less sure if it would be something she wanted to hear.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_Sharmin in San D'Oria_

It took the three days to travel on foot from Bastok to San D'Oria. Sharmin didn't bother waiting around to see what fate had befallen Zeal, and said a quick prayer for her soul. Any guilt had turned into desperation, and the only thing on her mind was to get to San D'Oria.

Who was the man that had appeared behind Zeal? He had to be a being of power, as no one in this world had magic such as his, to randomly appear inside someone's house on a whim. Zeal seemed to know he had been there, even before he appeared, and was frightened. She felt as if her time was limited, and that the strange man was searching for a way to kill her.

The two days they traveled, Laith attempted to draw closer to Sharmin through conversation and flirty gestures. Although mostly distracted by the current events, Sharmin found that she couldn't respond to him. He looked like Leon, but he wasn't. The real Leon was braver than Laith, and more reserved in speech and manner. He had emotional strength unrivaled, and would never cower in battle as Laith did.

"So what's so important in San D'Oria?" Kalline finally asked as they camped out near a craggy steppe on the La Thein Plateau. Sharmin looked up at her swiftly, startled from the silence that had surrounded them most of the day. Laith and Kalline watched her calmly, chewing on the food Sharmin had prepared for their dinner. Cooking was different in Vana'diel, one needed to simply combine ingredients with a crystal that monsters dropped, and it would somehow magically metamorphose into the desired food. Always proficient in cooking back in Aden, Sharmin quickly adapted to this new method with ease. Sharmin sighed heavily, and put down the ear of roasted corn she had been nibbling on. Her appetite had left her fully, and she knew she could avoid their questions no longer.

"I need to find out how someone I knew managed to get back to my world from this one." Sharmin began, rolling the ear of corn on the large leaf that she used as a plate. "It seems San D'Oria was her last stop before my world, so maybe I can find some clues there."

"What are you talking about, 'your world'?" Laith chuckled. "There's no such thing, Vana'diel is the only world, the teachings of Altana say as such." Sharmin gave him a weak half-smile, and his chuckling faded as she watched him calmly.

"I don't expect you to believe me." Sharmin said, shutting her eyes with her smile. "But there is another world…perhaps there are more than just one…alternate versions of the same life. I come from one of those…a world called Aden. It's…" she looked at the scenery around her for a moment, "…so much different than this world. So much more chaotic. I would not be able to sleep as soundly while camping like I do here, for fear of being robbed or killed or…" Her chest felt tight and she squinted her eyes shut tightly, trying not to remember what happened the last time she wandered out of a town alone.

"Then why go back, if it's so horrible there?" Kalline spoke up, watching Sharmin seriously. "Stay here." Sharmin looked at the Mithra fully, surprised to hear her question her so calmly. Did she believe what she was saying? Sharmin looked back down at her hands and began to pick at one of her fingernails.

"I have to…I need to get back to my sister. She's probably worried about me by now." Sharmin said sullenly.

"No she's not! She couldn't even make it through the barrier!" Kalline shouted, standing up. Both Sharmin and Laith looked at her in shock. Kalline's hands flew to her mouth and she stared into the night air, as if shocked by her own words. "I'm sorry." She said, her voice choked with tears, and turned and fled into the darkness.

"Kalline!" Sharmin shouted, jumping to her feet. What did she mean by that? What barrier? Was it too much to hope that she was, by some strange coincidence, talking about Komugi?

"Both of you wait! There are Orcs out there!" Laith's voice came as he bolted after them as fast as he could. Both girls were speedier than he, and his shouts faded with the distance that grew between them.

Sharmin finally caught up with Kalline as she perched atop a fence post lining the path leading to San D'Oria, crouching upon it like a cat and weeping loudly with her fists at her eyes like a child. Sharmin put a hand on her in concern, not understanding the cause for Kalline's grief. The girl suddenly latched onto Sharmin's shoulders and continued to cry loudly, clinging to Sharmin as if she would fly away.

"I spent so long trying to find you, and now you're going away again?" Kalline wept. Sharmin raised an uncertain hand to rub Kalline's back, feeling as if she would cry in sympathy with the girl.

"Who are you, Kalline? Why do you talk like Komugi?" Sharmin asked softly. Kalline's sobbing faded quickly after her question, and she pulled away to stare into Sharmin's eyes in confusion.

"I…I don't know." She said, fear replacing her grief in her voice. She put her hands on either side of her face and stared at the ground, her eyes large. "I don't know why I say the things I do…they just come out…and then I feel all these strange things…I don't understand it!" she whimpered. She jerked away from Sharmin's grip as she reached for her again. "Please, just leave me alone right now." She whispered. With that, she leapt from the fence post and bounded off into the night on all fours, at a pace faster than Sharmin could ever hope to catch up to. Sharmin's hand that she'd raised in an attempt at comfort slowly fell back to her side, unsure of what had just transpired within those few minutes.

"I have to agree with Kalline…please…if what you say is true and you really are from another world, please don't leave." Laith's voice came in her ear. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, and his breath tickled her ear as he tried to catch his breath from running. Sharmin's brow drew together in guilt, and she hesitantly lifted a hand to place on Laith's arm. _You could stay here you know…you'd have Komugi and Leon in these two, isn't that enough for you?_ A voice said in her mind. Sharmin shut her eyes as she thought; knowing that the voice of reason spoke true…she could very easily settle down here…live with the Mithra and Red Mage…

_"You could come with me…"_ she heard Gatz's voice suddenly, and was drawn back in memory to the time he left Talking Island. Sharmin's heart skipped a beat at it and she drew out of Laith's embrace quickly. Unexplainably, she felt the urge all of a sudden, to see Gatz again_. What am I thinking?_ She wondered to herself, blushing not from Laith's attention, but from the Talking Island memory.

"We should go back to camp and rest…I want to get into San D'Oria as soon as possible tomorrow." Sharmin mumbled, averting her eyes from Laith's and walking back towards the campfire. She tried not to notice the hurt look on his face as she passed him, focusing instead on the flickering campfire. _Why Gatz? Why did I remember Gatz? _She wondered as she pulled her blanket from her pack. The feeling of longing to see him was unsettling to her, and she struggled hard to push it from her mind enough to sleep.

Kalline was awake and waiting for them as they rose from slumber the next morning. It was early, the sun casting a bright yellow color across the sky. Birds chirped merrily in the trees, giving La Thein Plateau a very inviting presence despite the large, frog-faced Orcs lumbering about it. Kalline greeted them with a smile, no trace of the previous night's discomfort detectable anywhere about her. She chatted happily about all that she'd seen after disappearing the previous night, and led them, quite surprisingly, towards San D'Oria, as if she'd been there many times and knew the route by heart. By late that morning, Sharmin laid her eyes upon the gray stone walls that surrounded San D'Oria.

Without pausing to admire the city even for a second, Sharmin broke into a run as the gates came into sight and ran past them. The Elvaan guards glanced at her curiously as she passed, but said nothing, used to seeing all manner of people pass through the gates. She paused as she raced into the city square, and glanced about with large eyes. A strange urgency had crept into her body, and she didn't know why.

"Do you even know where to start looking for what it is you're searching for?" Kalline asked as she and Laith followed behind her. She smacked her face with her hand as Sharmin raced up to the first Elvaan citizen she saw, embarrassed at the simpleness of Sharmin's methods of deduction.

"Excuse me, but are you familiar with the name Narlafayn? I hear she died here, and I'm searching for her remains to bring back to Bastok…" Sharmin attempted to get out in one breath. The woman whom she spoke to frowned nastily at her and walked away with her nose in the air. Not letting the reaction disappoint her, Sharmin turned to the next townsperson she saw, and repeated her question. She received the same reaction.

"Sharmin, Elvaan are very much full of themselves. They don't ever talk to anyone from outside the city walls." Laith said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It'd be best to just sit somewhere and hope that name comes up in conversation." Sharmin pressed her lips into a thin line for a moment before taking a breath and walking to the next passer-by and repeating her question.

Several hours later, Laith and Kalline sat together underneath a tree lining the square, watching as Sharmin tirelessly continued asking those who passed her if they knew this Narlafayn person, and receiving a cold response each time. She finally sat down heavily next to them, her armor clinking loudly with her movement and startling the pair awake from the doze they'd fallen into.

"I told you, nobody's going to talk to you." Laith slurred, blinking groggily.

"Someone's going to." Sharmin murmured, glancing towards the auction house across from them. She pointed at a man with blonde hair leaning against the wall, staring at the trio. He stood up straight, his face red as he realized she was pointing at him, and adjusted his robes. "Hey wait!" Sharmin shouted, pushing herself to her feet as he began walking briskly towards the residential district. Kalline jumped to her feet quicker than Sharmin, and bounded after him like a cat chasing a bird. She crouched to the ground before springing over his head and landing in front of him, causing him to skid to a stop. The man, startled, swung around to run in the opposite direction, only to find Sharmin and Laith standing in his path.

"I wasn't doing anything!" the man protested before anything had been said, lifting his hands.

"Do you know Narlafayn?" Sharmin blurted out instantly, catching everyone off guard. "You've been watching me ever since I asked you if you knew her earlier…do you know her? Please, I need to find out something about her!" The man looked at Sharmin with large eyes before lowering his head, his hair hiding his face from view. His shoulders began to shake, and Sharmin tilted her head at him curiously. He lifted his head again, letting his laughter come out loudly.

"You mean that sad excuse for a woman? That murderess? That temptress from the darkness who wished to do nothing more than destroy our world by pretending to be someone trustworthy?" The man laughed. Sharmin's lips parted slightly and her eyebrow twitched as she frowned. His tone of voice was hateful, and made the trio visibly uncomfortable. "Yes, I know her. I suppose you could say I dated her briefly, if you want to be proper. I'd prefer to call it a temporary weakness or one-night stand though." The man grinned smugly, and Sharmin felt a bad taste form in her mouth.

"Can you tell me how she got into Aden?" Sharmin asked, swallowing against it. The man's grin dropped, and he lifted an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about, that bile waste is dead; I buried her myself." He said in a scathing tone. "Oh, and I would book it out of town tonight if I were you. Going around all day and spouting that name…she's a wanted murderer here you know, and nobody knows she's dead." He pushed his way past them then, and strolled towards the auction house. A woman with short brown hair was waiting for him there, and gave the trio a look of curiosity before latching onto his arm.

"Well, I guess that's it. Maybe we should get moving." Laith said, touching Sharmin's elbow. She stared hard after the man, rage burning within her at his words. To say that about anyone…Sharmin couldn't believe it. What she knew of Narlafayn, how little it was…there was no way what he said was true. It made her sick to see someone Narlafayn probably cared deeply about at one time speaking so hatefully of her now. She clenched her fists as she began to tremble with anger, wanting to run after the man and punch him as hard as she could on behalf of Narlafayn.

The scenery in front of her suddenly began to waver and distort as if she were viewing it through heat waves. Sharmin squinted as suddenly everything became sharper than usual, and caused her eyes to burn. She wobbled for a moment before her knees buckled, Kalline crying out as Laith caught her before she hit the ground.

Sharmin opened her eyes a few moments later to find herself curled into the corner of one strange, crumbling walls that were randomly erected outside of San D'Oria. She lifted her hands curiously to her face, surprised to find it damp with tears. Had she been crying? But why? She looked around herself curiously, not understanding why she was sitting there in the first place, hadn't she just been inside the city a moment ago?

As she shifted against the wall, she felt something hard in the pocket of the leather pants she wore under her rust-colored armor. Slipping her hand inside of it, she pulled out a tiny black pearl as she withdrew it, and stared at it curiously. She then noticed her hand was suddenly tanned darker than normal and she tilted her head at the sudden change.

_This goes in my ear, s_he thought mechanically, and lifted her hand to place the pearl inside of her ear canal. She winced as a barrage of voices suddenly sprung from the pearl and filled her head with noise. She wanted to rip the pearl from her ear and throw it across the grass, but something prevented her from doing as such, and instead she found herself listening intently to the voices.

"They say she killed someone, can you believe that?" a haughty voice she didn't recognize said. "How awful of a person is she? People don't even kill each other during Ballista, let alone a helpless old woman who couldn't possibly fight back!"

"Are they offering a reward for her yet? I know a few people who could find her and leave her conveniently in the middle of Yagudo territory…"

"Who are you talking about?" she asked curiously. She put a hand to her throat a moment later, shocked to find her voice was raspy as if she'd been crying. Her voice came out sullen and muted as well. It was odd, her voice and behavior were as if her body were experiencing emotions that she didn't feel herself. The voices in the pearl silenced immediately with her question.

"Narla! Are you ok?" she heard an accented voice exclaim. "Where are you now? Eclipses and I will come to you!" Sharmin again felt surprise. Narla? Who was that? She stared hard at her drawn up knees, suddenly realizing she'd forgotten her own name. Was she Narla?

"Go get yourself killed you bitch!" another voice sneered. "We don't want you here, someone break her linkpearl already!"

"Shut up!" the accented voice commanded firmly. "Narla, please, tell us where you're at!" Sharmin felt tears rising in her throat again, choking off the retort she wished to make at the person who sneered right before the nice-voiced person.

"She's alright Oona, I'm with her." a voice came. Sharmin lifted her head swiftly to find the man that she had chased down in San D'Oria standing over her, staring down at her without expression. He sat down next to her and removed the linkpearl from his ear, a motion that Sharmin echoed herself.

She stopped herself just moments before her body tried to propel itself forward to latch onto him in a hug, horrified with herself for acting so impulsively. She felt so sad though, she just wanted someone to hold her and tell her she was alright. She instead clutched clods of grass, and stared hard at the man, clenching her jaw as tears ran down her face. _I don't want him, he's an asshole._ She told herself firmly. _He's an asshole who just used __me for his own pleasure. Go on; ask him where he went yesterday, I'm sure he'll admit it._

"Where did you go yesterday, I was worried." Sharmin's voice came. It wavered as she shivered with anxiety, her teeth chattering from nerves. She realized that she had slept with this man, and he'd disappeared afterwards.

"I had some things to think over." He said sullenly, not looking at her. _Bingo._ Sharmin thought, anger overriding the grief she felt. How dare he play her heart like this? She'd opened up to him so quickly, despite all that her mother had taught her, thinking that he was perfect for her!

"Things?" she prompted, wanting him to admit to using her so she could kick his ass.

"I was visited by a strange man a few days after I had given you the linkpearl. He told me things that…. I can't even bear to think about. But he also told me that if I got close to you, bad things would begin to happen to those around me." He looked up at her then, staring into her eyes seriously. "That Tarutaru who helped us…. He was found dead by someone later." Sharmin swallowed hard against the lump in her throat, saddened by this news even though she couldn't recall any Tarutaru except the one she'd seen upon arriving in Vana'diel.

"That was a coincidence." She said firmly. She wasn't going to let this jerk make her feel like crap just because he was scared of someone he couldn't even name! Her eyes widened slightly and she drew in a soft breath of air as she remembered the man whom had appeared behind Zeal. Could it be the same one? The man, whom Sharmin now recalled as being named Rasta, lifted a hand out towards her, as if to comfort her. She drew away from it quickly, her back slamming against the crumbling rock, and glared at him defiantly. How dare he wish to touch her after what he just said! "Don't touch me, asshole, I hope you die." Sharmin snarled hatefully. Rasta's lips parted in surprise, and the look of sadness that had just begun to form melted away quickly into shock.

There was a sound of air being sucked into vacuum space, and both Sharmin and Rasta jumped to their feet as the man that Sharmin had seen behind Zeal stood in the grass near them. "Promathia…forgive me…" Rasta whimpered, taking a step backwards. Promathia lifted a hand with a dark smirk, a black-rimmed light forming around it. She felt the urge to jump in front of Rasta to protect him, but stayed rooted to the spot, chilled to the core to be in this man's presence again.

Time suddenly stopped, and Sharmin looked around herself curiously, realizing she was the only one still moving. "You've done too much, Sharmin. You've changed the timeline too much. Narlafayn is starting to forget this world as a result…if you do any more…she'll never have left here in the first place." A gentle, yet commanding masculine voice came. Sharmin searched for it with her eyes, not understanding what it was saying. "Are you sure you want to destroy the fabric of time like this? You do know that it will inadvertently effect you as well…as Narlafayn has touched your life too."

"I don't know what you're talking about, that man was a jerk! He doesn't deserve my sympathy after what he did to me!" Sharmin shouted to the disembodied voice. She felt fear and awe at the sound of it, and resisted the urge to cower.

"You mean he used Narlafayn, not you. Your power is so untamed yet, its confusing you." A feminine voice came this time. A being of light with large wings on her back that reminded Sharmin of Einhasad's statues suddenly appeared in front of her. "My brother Promathia killed Narlafayn in the next instant, as she jumped to protect Rasta, the man she cared for the most, from his power. As it stands now, you will change time to where Rasta died, and Narlafayn will spend the rest of her days searching fruitlessly across Vana'diel for her past. You will return back to your home of course, for how can you be here if you never met Narlafayn in the first place?"

"I can go home?" Sharmin said hopefully, tears springing into her eyes. This was it? She just had to do this one thing, and she could return home that easily?

"Yes, but be aware…things will be different back in your world as well without Narlafayn there." The woman said gently. "I do not mind the outcome of her remaining here…I can protect her from that which wishes her harm here. She is safe in my embrace." From behind the woman's wings stepped Kalline and Laith, looking around themselves curiously. "But before time returns to its movement, tell me…which one of these would you choose?" Sharmin frowned at her question before it dawned on her that once time returned, if Rasta died, she would never have met either of them. This pained her, and desperation began to creep upon her again.

"Why must I choose between them if they are to be strangers to me in just a moment?" Sharmin questioned. Tears were streaming down Kalline's face, and she sniffled loudly.

"Call it divine curiosity." The voice said in a warm tone. Sharmin looked between the two, her eyes widening as she suddenly saw Leon and Komugi, not Laith and Kalline at all.

"Sharmin." Leon said, giving her his trademark awkward half smile and holding out a hand to her. Sharmin took a step towards him, her heart pounding. Leon was showing her attention! She halted just as quickly, and looked over at Komugi, who had her fists balled to her eyes again.

"Don't ask such silly questions…" Sharmin began, walking calmly away from Leon. "My heart aches at rejecting one…but I could never abandon my sister. She smiled sadly and held her arms out to Komugi, who turned back into Kalline as she fell into them, crying loudly.

"Even if she is not really your sister?" the woman asked.

"That doesn't matter, she's still my sister." Sharmin said, petting Kalline's head.

"Then the timeline remains. Narlafayn shall still die." The woman said sadly. "What you have already done, I cannot repair. Narlafayn is surely forgetting this world as she spends her years in your world. She probably won't ever understand why her memories are fading, either, but they shall surely return when she sees the portal into Bastok that you get drawn into." Kalline and Laith disappeared into dozens of lights, and Sharmin looked around in wonder as they flew about her. "You chose the present over change, girl of Einhasad's world, and the present shall remain."

"Then I don't get to go home?" Sharmin asked sadly, holding a hand up to catch one of the lights around her.

"On the contrary…putting yourself as Narlafayn has secured you the only way you could've ever gone home…" the woman said as she faded. Sharmin opened her mouth to ask how, when suddenly time returned to movement. Instinct overriding her previous judgment, she jumped in between Promathia and Rasta just as the light left his hand. Sharmin screamed in agony as the power from the light lifted her several feet from the ground, feeling as if her insides were on fire and melting like wax. She dropped heavily as Promathia scowled and lowered his hand, the light fading. As he disappeared, Rasta fell to his knees in shock next to Narlafayn's body, ashamed of himself for being so cowardly. He doubled over and wept, knowing that if he had stood up to the god in the first place, perhaps none of this would've happened. A seed of loathing planted itself in his chest, a seed that would eventually grow and make him hate the Elvaan woman he'd once cared for.

"How dare you breach the barrier of time and space into my world a second time, Altana." Einhasad said angrily, appearing next to the goddess of Vana'diel in the fabric between the worlds.

"Many pardons, Einhasad, but I simply wished to return one of yours back to you." Altana said respectfully, bowing. "That One conferred with me, and said that it was best if she return. I've spent all of my power for now…I must return to slumber to regenerate it."

"That One has no power in either of our worlds, you know that." Einhasad said, glaring at Altana. Both goddesses of light resembled each other, only Atlanta's appearance was more mature, more motherly and gentle. She smiled warmly despite the hateful glare Einhasad was giving her, and took a step backwards into her realm

"On the contrary, that One is the reason why we're here." Altana said, shutting her eyes with her smile. She disappeared into her realm, leaving Einhasad alone and glaring in the fabric between worlds.

"And so my ache begins anew." Einhasad grumbled, fading back into her world.


	4. Chapter Interlude

_**Chapter Prequel 2-Terebel Bas**_

Terebel always knew that his last name meant 'death' in the ancient language of the Elves. He loathed it, hating that it labeled him to be a killer from the moment he took his first breath. The Dark Elves in Oren, the city where he grew up, would joke about his full name, saying he was to bring "terrible death". This brought him to hate his first name even more than his last, wishing he could go back in time and make his mothers choose something different for him.

Terebel was born to one of two Dark Elven women and a Light Elven man. He'd never known about his father while he was young, but never thought to question his mothers about whom his father could have been. His mothers were twins, and although only one of them had been the pregnant one and given birth to him, they both took equal responsibility for him, and told him that they were both his mother.

The clearest memories Terebel could recall were of the days following his mothers disappearance, leaving him alone to fend for himself in Oren at the tender age of nine. Hydrosfear and Zraa were always fascinated with the lore and teachings of the Giants, and had set off to the Giant's Cave to learn what they could there. Terebel had never been fond of the idea of the Giants still being alive, and succumbed to a panic attack whenever he thought of them.

These attacks were another curiosity, as it hit him both when he thought of the Giants, and when he tried to recall anything earlier than his ninth year of life. Although one could say they were obviously connected, he never bothered to search into the two and try to find the reason for both affecting him.

He was surprisingly streetwise, and was able to take care of himself for a full year by living as a thief, stealing from the merchants that frequently traveled through Oren on the way to Aden. His patience finally let up not long after his tenth birthday, and he attempted to set off to the Giants Cave alone to find his mothers.

As he emerged from the storehouse that he used as a place to sleep, he bumped into a shapely hip, the impact causing him to stumble. He was caught by the arm before he fell, and Terebel looked up into the face of an attractive Dark Elf woman, with night-black hair that fell softly around her shoulders and down to her waist. Her eyelids were half-shut, giving her a sleepily seductive appearance, and her eyebrows were high on her forehead. Her lips were plump, a common trait of many Dark Elf women, and laquoured a blackish kind of red.

"Goodness, where are you going so quickly, little one?" she asked, an amused smile tugging at her lips. His ears tinting pink with embarrassment, Terebel backed up a few steps before bolting into the crowd. He'd only run into one other Dark Elf since his mothers had left, but she hadn't been nearly as sophisticated or distinguished looking as this one. She oozed the succubi-like pheromone that drew men to Dark Elves, and it seemed that his childish heart wasn't even spared from it.

Terebel hid behind some crates stacked outside of the Blacksmith's, waiting as a merchant heckled the blacksmith inside for some jewels he'd asked the Dwarf to mine for him. The Merchant was from a wealthy family that went by the name of DiValmont and his favorite target to steal from whenever they passed through Oren. So far he'd only been caught once and only because old man DiValmont got the help of the Dark Elf woman whom had passed through previously.

Terebel crept into the Blacksmiths, and reached for the bag of jewels that sat unwatched on the edge of a table behind DiValmont. Just as his fingers brushed the oiled leather sack, a piece of splintered wood fell from the wall the table was set against, smacking his fingers and crushing them to the table. Terebel yelped loudly and withdrew his hand as quick as he could, crying out again as splinters broke off the wood and embedded themselves in his hand.

"Ah-HA!" DiValmont said triumphantly, turning around with the sound of the wood falling. "I caught you now you little thief! I was ready for you this time!" He reached out and snatched Terebel's wounded hand and jerked him towards the smithing pit. "You've cost me tens of thousands of adena in losses boy, let's make it so you can't steal from me again!"

Already paid to keep silent, the Dwarves in the building suddenly busied themselves in other things, pretending that DiValmont and Terebel weren't there at all. Terebel grunted and struggled against the grip the older man had on his hand. His hand burned with the splintered wood, and his struggles only seemed to push the pieces near DiValmont's hand farther into his skin.

"Thank you so much for finding my son, kind sir. I fear he's been a naughty boy these past few months out of my sight." The smooth voice of the Dark Elf woman that Terebel had bumped into moments earlier suddenly came. She put a hand on DiValmont's shoulder, turning his attention away from the fire pit and towards her. She smirked seductively, and DiValmont's grip on Terebel's wrist loosened slightly as he stared at her. Terebel jerked his hand free and attempted to bolt for the door, only to have the woman put her arm around his neck and pull him back against her body. His eyes went as large as they could go as he felt her shelve her breasts on top of his head. The motion was enough to keep him rooted to the spot.

"He's your boy eh?" DiValmont said after clearing his throat. He tugged on the collar of his high collared dress shirt as if it had suddenly grown too tight. "So I assume that means you'll take responsibility for all of the losses he's cost me, right?" The woman chuckled and reached out one hand to walk her fingers up DiValmont's chest in a flirty manner.

"I'm sure we can come to a…" her fingers reached his neck and she lifted them from his shirt to tap his nose, "…compromise." DiValmont began to stutter incomprehensibly after that, his face turning as red as a cherry. The woman chuckled seductively, well aware that her Dark Elf pheromones were in full control over the man's judgment. "I'll tell you what…meet me in my room at the inn at oh say…five o'clock. I'll work out your compromise then." The woman said smoothly, standing up straight. "Room 205, I'll be waiting." She winked and turned; keeping Terebel pinned against her body, and strutted from the Blacksmiths. DiValmont was stunned into silence as he watched her leave.

"Let go of me!" Terebel finally said, fresh air hitting his face and blowing away enough of the woman's intoxicating scent to allow him to regain his mind.

"To Aden we go." The woman said quickly, her voice no longer sultry or seductive. She hoisted Terebel up under her arm and took up a brisk walk towards the Gatekeeper.

"I thought you were going to talk to that guy." Terebel said innocently, ceasing in his struggling long enough to glance at her curiously. The woman lifted her eyebrows and visibly tried to hold back the disbelieving smile that wanted to burst forth.

"Oh you poor thing…you know nothing about being a Dark Elf. How pitiful." The woman chortled. "It's called persuasion, little one. I'll teach you all about it once we're home." Terebel's struggling began anew with this, and he kicked his legs.

"I ain't going nowhere with you, ya hag!" he grunted. She was surprisingly strong, and he couldn't get her arm to budge.

"You're Terebel, aren't you." She questioned, standing at the end of the line of people who'd gathered around the Gatekeeper, waiting for their turn. Terebel paused once again and looked up at her skeptically, unsure if she was making a statement or actually asking his name.

"Yes…?" he said uncertainly. The woman smiled in satisfaction, and patted him on his head.

"I thought so; you look like those two oddballs, so there's no mistake that you're their son." The woman said. "My name is Maeve, your mothers sent me to look after you."

"What?" Terebel breathed, dumbfounded. "Why would they do that? They said they were coming back to get me!" He began struggling with renewed esteem, pulling on her fingers to the point that they'd break in hopes that it'd be enough to make her release him. "They never lied to me before, I don't believe you!"

"I'm an Elder, young man. I'm quite accustomed to bearing the pain of broken bones as I know I can just heal them in an instant." Maeve said in a nasty voice, moving closer to the Gatekeeper. "And believe it or not, it's the truth. I'm not too pleased with this outcome either, but I owe them a favor from long ago." She placed him on the pavement next to her and took hold of his wrist before requesting a spell to Aden for the both of them. "Trust me when I say that you're better off this way. It should've happened a lot sooner." She murmured softly.

For four years Terebel was in the care of Maeve. She exposed him to the traditional Dark Elf life, something which he grew to dislike her for. He never had an interest in the opposite gender in the way that Maeve instructed him that Dark Elves should, instead he preferred learning of the academic sort. He loved to learn, and borrowed and read nearly every book that the Magic and Warrior guilds and even the church had.

Finding the youth's eagerness amusing, a sword master in the Warrior guild by the name of Prabodh decided to take it upon himself and put Terebel's knowledge to use. Using books borrowed from the Dark Elven Guild as guidance, Prabodh began to teach Terebel the basics of swordplay. As he'd expected, Terebel was a quick learner, but tended to loose control of himself when training got intense. His emotions more often than once got a hold of him during sparring matches, and Prabodh had to physically detain the boy for fear that someone would get killed.

Prabodh was an older man, his skin tanned and leathery from years of being outdoors. He'd been sent to the city after the campaign for kingship began between Raoul and Paris, caught in a riot outside of Hunter's Village and injured after falling into a ravine. His daughter, Jesal, had taken a shine to Terebel from the moment she laid eyes on him. It was hard to say if Terebel noticed or not, as he was more interested and focused on his sword work than flirting with any girls. And thus Jesal pined away for him, as Terebel was quickly growing into the mysterious attractiveness that all Dark Elves had, even though he did not seem to notice.

Relations with Gracia began to go sour, and on fear of war, Prabodh was sent from Aden to Gludin, where the Gracian troops were expected to land. He left Terebel's lessons in the hands of the Dark Elven Guild sword master, a bitter man whom rushed Terebel through the last of his studies as quickly as possible.

On the eve of his fourteenth birthday, Terebel raced back to his home excitedly to tell his guardian that he was ready to become a Palus Knight. He opened the door that day to a nearly empty house; the only thing left of Maeve was a note. She explained in her letter that she was terribly sorry to rush off on him without a word, but she had urgent business to take care of in Elmore, and her sudden departure could not be helped. She felt as if he were far old enough and wise enough to survive on his own from then on, but should he fall into any trouble, to use the Dark Elven wiles she attempted to pound into him to pull through it.

Saddened yet relieved at her departure, Terebel made his way to the Dark Elven Guild the next morning to receive word on what his tasks to prove himself worthy of becoming a Palus Knight would be. Because he was not taught in the traditional manner and by a human, the Sword Master informed him that he had to go an extra length before he'd recognize him as a Knight. His first task for Terebel was to accompany the Sword master's niece Kartia as she made a pilgrimage from the Forbidden Gateway to the Forest of Mirrors. He would receive further orders in Hunter's Village once he arrived, if he managed to get her from point A to B safely.

Kartia was an Abyssal Celebrant from the Dark Elven Village, and quite beautiful. She had long silver hair, and thick, long eyelashes that nearly hid her gold colored eyes from view. She was only a year older than Terebel himself, but carried herself as if she were twenty years his senior. Terebel was, needless to say, smitten at first sight by her.

At first, as they traveled, Kartia paid no attention to him other than to order him around. Maeve's teaching seemed to flee his mind whenever they were alone together, and Terebel found that pulling the Dark Elf nature from his subconscious was harder than she made it seem. More than once Kartia and her couriers giggled at him openly at how human-like he was. By the time they reached the edge of the Forsaken Plains two months later however, Kartia began to use her own wiles on him, and soon had him wrapped around her finger.

Terebel bolted upright from sleep one foggy early morning, his body drenched with sweat. The images from the nightmare he'd been having lingered in his mind's eye, torturous images that not even he cared to recall clearly. He'd been a killer in that nightmare, slaying people with swords of fire and dancing in their blood and innards. Kartia rose from where she slept next to him, holding her blanket over her body to keep the chill off of it, and daintily pushed a few strands of hair from where they stuck to his face.

"Third nightmare since we came to the Forsaken Plains, perhaps you are not living as Shilen guides us to live?" she said in her haughty voice. Terebel glanced at her with his brow knitted together before sighing heavily and pushing his hair from his face. His hair naturally fell over one side of his face and was as black as midnight, and shone a strange kind of indigo in some lights.

"Ever since two nights ago I assure you, I think I'm living just as Shilen wants." Terebel responded with a half-grin. He'd been sharing a sleeping blanket with Kartia since then, and was quite pleased. Kartia clucked her tongue in a scathing way, and stood, pulling a filmy robe over her shoulders.

"Even so, I must get sleep that will not be interrupted. It is imperative that I make my pilgrimages fully rested and in good spirits. Until your nightmares stop my charming little one, I will be sharing the blankets with Elen. Wake us when the fog lifts enough to see twenty feet ahead of us." She strutted towards the tent flap without a backwards glance, and Terebel jumped to his feet to grab her by her wrist.

"What? Wait, what are you talking about? I thought you were with me!" he protested. His teenage heart began to thud with dread at her words. She was breaking up with him?

Kartia turned to look at him with a surprised expression, her lips pursed slightly. She searched his turquoise eyes for a moment before breaking out into shrill giggles.

"Funny boy, you really are human inside, aren't you? Or are you a bewitched Light Elf, because you surely don't understand your own kin!" she laughed. Terebel withdrew from her a step, swallowing hard against the forming lump in his throat. "Were you never taught that Dark Elves tie themselves to no one? It is how we are! To be otherwise is unnatural!"

"But I love you!" Terebel blurted out desperately. His ears turned red as soon as he realized what he had just uttered, and he glanced away. His feelings were rather strong for her, and he didn't want to share her with anyone else, but it was uncertain if it were male possessiveness or that one sacred feeling he just admitted.

Kartia stared at him for a moment in shock, her laughter dying for a moment before she shivered from head to toe and darted for the water basin. She grabbed the sponge still soaking in the icy water she'd used to bathe with the night before and began scrubbing her skin vigorously. Alarmed as she began to rub it raw, Terebel took a step forward and put a hand out to stop her from harming herself.

"Don't touch me!" she snapped, jerking away from him quickly. Terebel withdrew his hand as if she'd bitten it, and she began to scrub her other arm. "I can't believe I slept with you! You're not full Dark Elf, are you?" she talked as if she were spitting out something unpleasant and she shivered again.

"Of course I'm full Dark Elf, do I look like I've got another race in me?" Terebel responded. His heart had grown numb, and he couldn't tell if he were being hurt by her actions. Kartia threw the sponge into the basin and darted for her clothes, which she gathered to her chest protectively.

"Dark Elves do not LOVE; they do not tie themselves to one person. That is, unless they're not fully a Dark Elf. Those that marry do it for convenience, or because they've somehow managed to get the other pregnant, but never for love. Fondness perhaps but….UGH!" Kartia shuddered. She turned on her heel and stomped out of the tent, leaving a bewildered, hurt Terebel in her wake. She disappeared into the tent of her couriers, Elen and Circe, and began to sob loudly to them about how Terebel took advantage of her. Feeling quite disgusted, Terebel dressed in his gray and blood red piece bone armor, grabbed his sword and shield, and took off into the morning air.

He treaded carefully across the Forsaken Plains, the fog thick enough to hide him from the monsters that roamed the place's sight. The beasts there were stronger than he could ever hope to take on at that time, a mere sneeze from them would crush him. Kartia's words weighed heavily upon him. What did she mean, no Dark Elf could love? His mind couldn't fathom living a life where he would float from person to person and never tying himself down to any of them. Despite appearances, Terebel was a budding hopeless romantic in his heart, and always assumed that one day he'd find the perfect person to settle with, once that time came. This Dark Elf logic that Maeve and now Kartia spoke of baffled him.

He came to a stop as he realized he'd unknowingly walked halfway across the Plains. The Giants Caves loomed ahead of him, the strange pulsing vein-lights that crisscrossed all of their architecture visible through the dense fog. A heavy fear settled itself in his chest, stomping out every other feeling. His limbs felt like lead, keeping him from fleeing back in the direction he'd come. _My mothers are in there…_he suddenly remembered, and his heart began to thud in anticipation. He took a shuffling step forward, and then another. Could they still be in there, even after four years? Would it be possible even that they were alive? Should he even try to look?

Terebel glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the camp as he weighed his options. On one hand, he could return to the camp, ignore how Kartia crushed his heart, and try to get some sleep before returning to their long journey to the Forest of Mirrors, or he could continue onward, into unknown dangers, and see if by some wild chance that his mothers were still in there. Old yearning outweighed new, and Terebel began moving forward.

He became giddy as he ran across the last length of the plains, ducking out of the way of the strange beasts that the Giants had left roaming the field, his heart pounding. Would they recognize him now? He'd grown quite a bit since they'd last seen him. Should he greet them with a 'hi mom!' and then latch onto them in a hug or introduce himself as if he were a stranger?

Terebel crossed a great long bridge that connected the plains with the caves. The Caves themselves were more like strange buildings carved into the mountainside, made of long rectangular blocks that glowed with the green pulsing veins. He could hear chains clinking underneath the bridge, as well as the growls of beasts as the prowled the valley underneath him. He swallowed hard as his throat tightened in fear, and peered cautiously into the first room. A great white tiger and a strange, half-decayed bear prowled in the room, sniffing the floor as if looking for food. Terebel darted in silently without looking at the beasts and ran towards the doorway leading to a second bridge on the other side of the room. There was a snarl halfway through the room, and Terebel paused long enough to glance over his shoulder and see the bear chasing after him. His heart leapt into his throat, and Terebel broke into a full run as fast as he could. A giant green spider sat in the doorway of the next room across the bridge, and Terebel skidded to a stop before the arachnid saw him. He drew his sword and spun around, the instinct to survive overriding his other senses, and held up his shield as the bear swung at him.

There was a gush of air and the sound of flesh ripping from flesh, and Terebel lowered his shield to find that the bear's paws had been cut off. A Dark Elf woman with her black hair piled high on top of her head stood in front of him, her bronze armor battered and beaten with age and misuse. The bear stood on its hind legs and swayed this way and that, howling in pain as blood pumped from its decapitated front legs. The Dark Elf woman spun her sword in her hand once before thrusting it forward and through the bear's head. It fell backwards with a watery moan, and moved no more.

"Mom?" Terebel barely managed to get out. The woman in front of him stiffened, and then spun around to stare at him. He recoiled slightly at the lifelessness her eyes held, but she was unmistakably one of his mothers.

"State your name, I do not recognize you." Hydrosfear, whose real name was Polar, stated in a curt tone. "Why do you disturb the Giants, are you here to kill them in the name of Einhasad?" She held her sword out, the point at Terebel's throat. He swallowed hard, disappointment now the ruling emotion in his body.

"Mom, it's me, Terebel. Don't you recognize me?" he asked in a small voice. Hydrosfear squinted at him for a moment, as if trying very hard to recall his face.

"No, Terebel is a child. You are an intruder, thus you must die." She said after a moment of silence. Terebel held up his hands and took a step back, his eyes large.

"Whoa whoa, it's been four years, mom! I grew up, started puberty, you know, all that good stuff!" he said quickly. Hydrosfear lowered her sword and tilted her head at him, as if considering his words despite the blank look on her face.

"Four years?" she echoed. "Oh, memory retrieval completed. That must be the reason she cannot create young with Gamlin #2566." She said. "I had forgotten the son unit had rendered her incapable. Unfortunate, I will have to be the subject then." Before Terebel could voice any questions as to what she was talking about, she snatched him by the wrist and toted him into the next room. Terebel recoiled and winced as they walked past the spider, ready for it to attack them. It remained where it was though, as if it couldn't see them.

"Mom, why aren't the monsters attacking us?" Terebel finally asked as Hydrosfear led him across a strange walkway made of the green pulsing light. Gigantic statues of serene-faced beings lined the walls of the room they walked through, the statues faces and bodies lined with the pulsing green lights. It gave the room a surreal, spooky look, and made both Terebel and Hydrosfear's skin a sickly kind of green.

"We control them; they will not harm you while we are with you." Hydrosfear stated in an almost mechanical voice. She led him through room after room for nearly two hours, taking him deeper and deeper into the caves.

Terebel began to shake in fear as he realized the legless humanoid creatures decked out in strange rock-like armor with their heads covered in strange masks were the Giants themselves, degenerated and nearly stupid with the inbreeding and tests they'd performed on themselves through the years. To Terebel's horror, Hydrosfear stopped in front of these frighteningly degenerated beings, this one larger than the others, resting beneath a tall, pillar like statue of the green light.

"My lord Utenus, I have brought more of my blood to you. I present this unit to you to replace Gamlin #2566 in your testing." She hauled Terebel around to stand closer to the Giant, and the youth nearly collapsed from fear.

"What?" he exclaimed, Hydrosfear's words finally making sense in his head. "I came to find you and Mom, not be tested on!" he began to struggle, trying to pull free of her iron grip. "Let me go! I don't want to be a Giant's toy!" His voice cut off as the Last Titan Utenus shifted away from the statue and brought his masked face close to Terebel's. Terebel winced and turned his head away, a strange decaying scent emanating from beyond the rock that made up his mask. His entire body shook with fear he'd never felt before. A pinprick of pain stabbed him behind his right eye with a sudden, quick vision of himself wearing a helmet like what the Giant's wore, screaming in agony.

"Lord Utenus is not done with Gamlin #2566 yet, sister. He says to put that one in the cube room." A new voice came as the Giant mumbled something in a strange tongue. Terebel looked up as Zraa walked into the statue room from another, situating her tattered mystic's robes with a blank expression.

"Sister, this is the son unit, do you recall?" Hydrosfear asked, pushing Terebel forward roughly.

"Stop it Mom, what happened to you? Why are you so weird now?" Terebel finally burst out; sick of being treated like an object. He jerked free of Hydrosfear's grip, and swung around to face her.

"Incorrect, we have not been reprogrammed at all." Hydrosfear said calmly.

"Son…" Zraa breathed. She put a hand to her womb as if remembering. Her face changed slightly, and Terebel gained a ray of hope as he saw her eyes suddenly spark with life. Hydrosfear noticed too, and grabbed Terebel roughly by the back of his neck and began leading him towards the room Zraa had exited. He resisted the entire way, trying to pull her fingers from his skin. He swore he heard one of the bones in her fingers break, but she gave no sign of it hurting her.

"Lord Utenus, the son unit was our subject for all of our studies that we spoke to you of. Would you like to see the results of our labor yourself?" Hydrosfear asked loudly as she dragged him into the room. Terebel's eyes widened in horror as he realized the room was their testing room, creatures of all sorts being dissected or sewn together by smaller Giants. Upon a slab in the center of the room laid a naked Orc who stared at the ceiling far above him with glassy eyes.

Zraa followed with her eyebrows raised in what Terebel could only hope was worry, and reached out slightly for them as Hydrosfear shoved Terebel against a wall and clamped his arms and legs against it. Zraa froze as the Titan spoke in his slurring language, her expression loosing all emotion and returning to the blankness it was before.

"Yes, I would like to see this work you speak so highly of, Polar." Zraa said woodenly, the Giant speaking through her. Terebel struggled harder against his bonds as Hydrosfear approached him with a strange crystallized device. _What the hell is going on? This is unreal!_ Terebel thought angrily. _How could they want to do this to me, don't they care about me?_

"Mom, wait!" Terebel pleaded as Hydrosfear held the device out to his neck. "Don't you want to know how I've been? What I've been doing? How I've survived all of this time? Don't you care?" Hydrosfear paused and tilted her head at him curiously for a moment, her face still blank and without emotion.

"Not really, no." she replied simply. Small claws sprang from the crystal device and dug into his neck. Terebel yelled out in pain as electricity surged through his body, stars bursting behind his eyes before it all went dark.

For what felt like days, Terebel endured various fluids and instruments being injected into him, his twin mothers watching without emotion to how it affected him. The room was dark suddenly, and all Terebel could see was his mothers.

"Mom, please…" Terebel pleaded weakly with Zraa as she watched him react to a strange pin that they inserted into the white of his eye. They'd been slowly inserting pins of various widths into his face, and he'd only finally screamed when they inserted one into his eye. Seemingly pleased with this reaction, Hydrosfear disappeared from his sight, leaving him with Zraa. "Please stop this…I was just worried about you, and this is how you treat me? This is how you treat your own son?"

"How is it different from before?" Zraa asked, echoing Hydrosfear by tilting her head curiously. "You have always been our lasting experiment, from the moment you were plucked from our womb." She held a hand over her lower belly again, the lower eyelid of her right eye twitching slightly as if suppressing a memory. "It was quite painful, but we needed to study the last part of Giant's teachings. We needed to discover how they altered life." Terebel's unpierced eye widened and he drew in a breath as the clear memory of his mothers doing similar experiments to him when he was younger resurfaced. He began to shiver violently, wishing that he hadn't remembered.

"Why…? Didn't you love me?" Terebel asked, his throat tightening with emotion. Zraa tilted her head again.

"Love? Why would we? Fond of your usefulness, yes." Zraa said simply. Terebel lowered his head down as tears stabbed his eyes, trying to hide them before Zraa saw. She put her hand on his cheek, and Terebel recoiled slightly at the feel of how cold it was. "Silly unit, did you love us?"

"Of course I did, you're my mothers!" Terebel burst out, and then sobbed once. Tears poured down his face, paining the pierced eye.

"See the pain you are in because of love? Please be kind to yourself and erase the emotion from your memory recall." Zraa said in an almost kind voice. "We cannot continue our tests if you loose the will to live from the pain of that emotion. We thought leaving you would do that for us, but you are stubborn." He looked up at his mother through watering eyes, and she patted his cheek. "You were programmed to return to us at this age and we are pleased that you did. Thank you son unit." Terebel suddenly growled loudly in pain and frustration and tried to jerk his arms free once more. Zraa withdrew her hand, surprised by his sudden anger. There was a sound of something crackling near his ear and he winced against it, but did not cease in struggling. Rage was building within him like a great, destroying wave, and he wanted nothing more at that moment to wrap his hands around his mother's neck and strangle her for betraying him.

"He's broken the anger restraint, quickly, move to the next stage!" he heard Hydrosfear's voice say somewhere near his head. Calmly, Zraa lifted a cube made from the stone that the Giants wore as armor and held it against his head. The stone melded into his head and Terebel stiffened as he felt a strange electrical pulse go through his body. He fell limply in his bonds a moment later, his eyes glassy.

"We are told there is one method of torture that not even the Execution Grounds practices, and we are curious as to why." Hydrosfear said, coming into Terebel's blurred vision. In one hand she held a tiny knife, and in the other, a bowl.

"No…" Zraa, now someplace where Terebel could not see, said.

"You disagree, sister?" Hydrosfear asked, stepping towards Terebel and reaching for his pants. Zraa remained silent in response as Hydrosfear unfastened his pants and slid them down. Terebel began to pant in fright as his dulled brain finally pieced together what she intended to do.

"Mom no…" Terebel said weakly, his voice full of fear. "No…" she ignored him and pressed the knife against his skin. It was cold, and Terebel sobbed once again at the feel of it. "No…mom…NO!" Terebel screamed loudly as it bit into his skin, a scream that echoed through the caves and out into the Forsaken Plains, the beasts there howling in response to it. It was strange though, the cry of pain sounded deeper than Terebel's voice once it reached the plains…

Terebel awoke on his back later, and stared up to what had to have been the ceiling, if it had not been obscured by darkness. His entire body hurt, and he began to shiver as he recalled what his mother had done to him before he'd passed out. Only fourteen and now only half a male…how could they? Why did he have to be born to them? They needed a brainless child, not one that thought and felt like him. He just wanted them to love him and be proud of him, so he tried hard during those times they'd test on him as a child, to give them the reaction they'd wanted. He lifted his hand to cover his face, and then withdrew it slightly as it finally occurred to him that he was no longer bound to the wall.

Several hours later Terebel stumbled through the caves towards what he hoped was the exit. He was growing weaker the longer he walked, and had to push himself onward. The beasts roaming the caves ignored him as they did when he walked through with Hydrosfear, and Terebel supposed they recognized him as a test subject now, just like them.

Lightning flashed overhead as he finally came out into open air, and Terebel squinted into a tumultuous sky as large, cold droplets of rain splattered on his face. Pushing himself from the doorway of the caves as hard as he could, Terebel took two stumbling steps forward before falling. He raised his head weakly to stare across the bridge to the rooms they adjoined to. The bridge leading out to the plains was in sight, but seemed so far away to him now. He laughed bitterly, wondering why it was that he wanted to escape in the first place. He was no good to society now, not after all that they'd done to him. His sword arm was numb and useless from the bundle of nerves they'd removed from it, and he could no longer carry on his legacy and bring children of his own into the world after what they'd done to him that night.

"Terebel…" Zraa's voice came as he pushed himself to his feet. He glanced over his shoulder wearily to find Zraa standing in the doorway into the caves, watching him with worry. He was surprised to see her wearing such an expression, having not seen her express anything at all. What was more surprising though, was to hear her say his name instead of 'son unit'. A tiny smile of contentedness gracing his face, Terebel's strength waned and he fell again, this time over the side of the bridge. He felt as if he were tumbling forever, and didn't feel any pain when his body finally hit the ground.

"Are you a dead person?"

Terebel opened his eyes weakly and blinked several times, his vision blurred. He was lying on his stomach as if he had been doing nothing more than sleeping. As his eyes focused, he looked up at the owner of the voice, finding it to be a little elf girl with bright silver hair crouched over him. She was no more than five by her appearance, and her large eyes that searched his face curiously was the brightest violet that he'd ever seen.

"Oh no, you got hurted! Don't move dead person, mommy has some special drinks that make your owies go bye bye!" the girl said, and then jumped up. She tripped over her cream-colored dress as she ran, and a smile tweaked the side of Terebel's mouth despite himself. He shut his eyes as his vision blurred again, and wondered why he wasn't dead. _Perhaps I am dead, and this is what the abyss looks like._ He thought.

He was shaken awake a bit later, and opened his eyes to find the same little girl crouching over him. She let out a sigh of relief as he raised his head slightly, and clutched a bottle of red liquid to her chest. Setting it down daintily on the stone ground, she grunted with exertion as she pushed him onto his back. Finding himself too weak to roll himself, he winced as her innocent efforts caused bones to crack and pop, reminding him that he'd fallen from a great height. The little girl grunted again as she uncorked the bottle, gasping lightly as some spilled over the mouth of the bottle and onto the ground.

"Sorry." She apologized sheepishly, and held the bottle to his lips. She poured the liquid into his mouth without warning, and Terebel began to choke. "Oh no!" the little girl exclaimed as Terebel couldn't push himself up to cough properly. "I'm sorry, don't die!" she cried, pushing him over onto his side to rub his back. Grateful that she seemed to know what she was doing despite the intense pain both coughing and rolling put him into, Terebel coughed until the fluid left his lungs, and panted heavily. "You gotta drink the owie medicine dead person, or else your owies won't go 'way." The girl said, holding the bottle to him again.

"I can't drink lying down…" Terebel managed to say in a raspy voice. The little girl's face dropped from the childishly stern look she'd been giving him to a look of surprise. With all of the care of a doting hen, she scooted close to him and propped his head up on her lap. Terebel blushed at the movement, and then curiously wondered why he was blushing under the care of a five year old child. _God don't let me be turning into one of those disgusting people because of the trauma they put me through…_he prayed silently. He drank from the bottle easier in this position, although the girl hardly let up enough to let him breathe between swallows.

"There, now you'll get better and can go home! Where do you live dead person?" the little girl asked, petting his hair away from his face in a mimicry of what her mother did when she was sick. "Your mommy must be worried about you, I know my mommy gets worried about me aaaaalll the time."

"I somehow doubt they are…" Terebel said weakly, tears welling in his eyes despite his best efforts to keep himself calm. They dripped from the corner of his eyes and trailed across his temples to collect in the curves of his ears.

"Does your tummy hurt? Don't cry, I always cry when people cry!" the little girl said desperately. Sure enough, large tears were welling in her own eyes, and Terebel felt the urge to be sad flee him at how cute she was. "Stay here dead person, I'll go find you some nummies so your tummy don't hurt anymore, ok?" she gently scooted his head off of her lap and dashed as fast as she could away from him.

Terebel stared up to the sky, and curiously found that he wasn't in the Silent Valley below the Giants Caves. Instead it appeared he was in a quarry of some sort, with the slanted, mined look the rocks around him had. He could faintly smell the distinct odor of coal, and wondered if the abyss was indeed a world all of its own. The pain in his body was fading, and he managed to scoot himself up to sit against the rock wall near him.

The little girl came racing back with a picnic basket a half-hour later and halted quickly upon seeing him sitting up. "Your owies are getting better!" she said happily, as if amazed by the potion she herself had taken before. She knelt beside him with the picnic basket, her tiny cheeks pink with excitement. "Mommy went to the Harbor to all of the floaty stores there, so I grabbed aaaaalll the food we had left for you!" she exclaimed, opening up the picnic basket excitedly. Terebel chuckled lightly as she began producing the food from the basket and laying it next to him. Most of the food were ingredients to make other dishes and could not be eaten.

After pulling all of the food from the basket, the little girl inspected them thoughtfully before grabbing a flat, round cake and breaking off a piece of it. She held it up to his face and made a 'ah' noise, urging him to eat it. Terebel blushed fiercely, but dutifully opened his mouth anyway. She plopped the cake into it, and grinned as he chewed. The cake was flavorless, but sweet. The little girl repeated this method with several different foods (all of snack origin he assumed by the sweet flavor they all held) until Terebel said he was full. She then raced back with the basket and the leftover food as quickly as she could, leaving Terebel once again.

He found himself watching the clouds as they drifted overhead, devoid of thought. It was relaxing being in this place, although something didn't feel right. There was an unreal quality to the life here, as if he weren't really there. _Being dead feels like I'm dreaming…_ he thought to himself.

The little girl returned as the sky began to turn orange with dusk, racing back to him with a lantern and a blanket. A wide smile broke out on her face as she found him still sitting there, watching her patiently. "Mommy came home and yelled at me." She said with tearful eyes. "But I snuck out when she wasn't looking!" She covered him with the blanket sloppily, and then settled next to him. A book had been wrapped up in the blanket, and she opened it up as she snuggled close to his side.

"You shouldn't make your mom mad." Terebel said gently, smiling nervously at the sudden closeness of the girl. She was pretty for a child, and Terebel once again began to fear that he was overly traumatized and turning into a pedophile. _Maybe things like that don't matter in the Abyss…_he wondered. "What are you reading?" he asked after a moment of silence. The book looked far too old for such a young girl to be drinking up eagerly, and he was surprised when it seemed like she was reading it.

"The Crusader and the Alchemist." She recited easily, holding up the cover for him to look at. "Its one a mommy's big girl books, see?" she held the page she'd been reading up for him to glance at, and Terebel's ears turned red as he realized 'big girl book' meant 'romance novel'.

"Should you really be reading stuff like that?" he said, smiling nervously again. The little girl tilted her head at him curiously.

"Why not? He's just kissin' her a lot and givin her a back rub." She said innocently. "Kissin looks like fun, I wanna try it some day!" she suddenly exclaimed, putting the book down and facing him. "But I gotta be an Alchemist before I can, cuz she gets good kisses from her Crusader!" The little girl's excited expression dropped into seriousness for a moment, her eyes large as she stared at Terebel. "You can be my Crusader, ok? So you gotta go to Crusades and fight evil and then come back and kiss me good, ok?" she said eagerly, smiling at him. Terebel stared at her in shocked surprise, his jaw dropping open slightly. "What's your name anyway dead person? I gotta know so I can wait for you as you go to the Crusades!" She spoke of Crusades as if it were a day job, her innocence showing through completely.

"Terebel." He said with a grin. "Fine, I will come back from the Crusades and give you a big kiss." He chuckled as she squealed in delight.

"And then we get married, right? Cuz kisses always lead to marriage!" the little girl continued eagerly. Terebel's amusement returned to the nervous smile, and he wondered what he was getting himself into.

"Kisses don't always lead to marriage…" he began, but stopped as the little girl's face contorted into a look of sheer, mournful, sadness. "…but yes, then we'll get married." He finished. The girl squealed again and latched onto him in a fierce hug, snuggling into his neck as if he were a plush toy.

"Terebel, daisuki!" she exclaimed, her voice muffled by his skin. Terebel's entire face turned red, and gently pried her from his neck and put her back next to him. She grinned up at him before scooting underneath the blanket with him and snuggling against his side as she returned to her book. Terebel hesitantly placed his hand on her shoulder, and blushed fiercely again as she snuggled closer with the movement.

She fell asleep not long after, the book dropping from her limp fingers and onto the ground. A gentle smile crossed Terebel's face as he watched her, her breathing was calming to him. He almost felt like a beast in her presence, her innocence was so great it was tangible. He brushed the hair from her cheek and grinned as she sucked lightly on the end of her thumb.

"There, that seals the promise." He whispered after pecking her cheek lightly. Feeling content, he leaned his head back against the rocks and shut his eyes, wondering what kind of day he would have tomorrow in this strange land.

The darkness of 'sleep' disappeared as the helmet was pulled off of Terebel's head. He blinked groggily up into the concerned face of the Orc he'd seen lying on the slab in the middle of the room in the Giant's Cave. Reality hit him like a rock, and he jerked upright from where he'd been lying, searching wildly for the little girl.

"You are alive still, I am glad." The Orc said in relief. Terebel looked up at him for the first time with large eyes. The Orc was covered in injuries, blood and strange devices. His eyes landed on the strange helmet a moment later, and a sudden surge of unexplainable fright caused Terebel to recoil away from it and scramble to the far end of the slab. The Orc looked at it curiously and then back to Terebel. It resembled the helmets the Giants wore, and had strange spikes that had once lodged themselves into his temples lining the inside of it.

"Where is the girl? Why am I back here?" Terebel asked, his teeth chattering from nerves. The Orc looked at him sadly before setting the helmet down and holding out his hand.

"Their fictional images are cruel, I am sorry." He apologized again. "Come, I shall lead you from this place." Although wary, Terebel found no reason to mistrust this Orc, and cautiously followed him. "You seem to recognize that helmet yet not," the Orc began as they walked through the caves. "It is something your mothers designed, it allows them to show you dreams that they have made and control." Terebel halted mid-step and stared at the back of the Orc's head with wide eyes. Again he recalled his childhood, and the strange helmet they'd forced him to wear.

A strange kind of masculine hope springing to life inside of him, Terebel quickly slipped a hand inside of his pants, and nearly whooped in joy as he found himself uninjured. "They would test out various experiments on you in the dream world to see if they could do them successfully without killing their subject before coming and performing them on me." The Orc explained without looking at him. Terebel's joy melted away in that instant, and he stared at the Orc, unable to voice any sympathy. He looked away sadly as it also meant the dream of the little girl had probably been something of his mother's design as well.

"Thank you." Terebel said as the Orc led him out. He paused as he realized the Orc had already turned around and was heading back towards the caves. "Why won't you come with me? You're being held prisoner here too…"

"I want nothing more than to be free of this place, but I have no free will." The Orc said, pointing to a claw-device hooked into his neck. A green crystal pulsed at its center. "I could leave, only to have them retrieve me again. They would surely take you back as well, if we were together." The Orc raised his head quickly to stare in the direction of the caves. "Quickly, they are coming." He urged, pushing Terebel roughly. Fear creeping into his legs, he broke into a run, eager to be away from the caves despite his concern for the friendly Orc. _I'll come back when I'm stronger and free you too._ He promised, not looking over his shoulder.

He was unsure of how much time had truly passed, so Terebel returned to the camp he'd left to find it empty. Cursing lightly to himself, he rushed off in the direction that they'd planned to travel in from the start, hoping that somehow he'd catch up to them, and would be able to finish his task without much more trouble.

He found them outside of the Forest of Mirrors a week after dashing from the camp, cowering as a group of nameless Orcs surrounded them, growling greedily. "Do you know who I am, worms?" Kartia called haughtily from behind Elen and Circe. "My uncle is a renowned fighter; he will see to it that your kind is extinguished if something would happen to me!"

Not seeming to understand (or care about) her words, the Orc that seemed to be the leader of the pack let out a snarl, and they all charged inwards at once. Terebel leapt in quickly then, and heroically drew his sword to fend them off.

"Take Lady Kartia and run!" Circe urged, shoving the girl towards him. "We shall meet you without fail in Hunter's Village." When Terebel hesitated, she continued, "Your bravery is recognized, but these are not beasts you can fight now. Hurry!" Nodding and sheathing his sword, Terebel picked Kartia up with surprising strength for someone his size and dashed off towards the Forest of Mirrors.

They traveled for days, having to stop and reassure their direction as the Forest attempted to keep them underneath its leaves longer by shifting their path. Kartia was strangely quiet as she watched Terebel dutifully protect her from harm. It took two months before they arrived in Hunter's Village, and in that time Kartia returned to sleeping by his side. Joyful that the torture his mothers had put him through hadn't been real, Terebel decided to forget the insult she'd given him and go along with it, simply for warmth at night and to have something to do to pass the time.

"I should think I would like you to accompany me back to the Dark Elven Village." Kartia said to him as they entered Hunter's Village. He paused and looked at her, surprised to find her gazing at him with starry eyes and a blush high in her cheeks. Terebel opened his mouth and then closed it again, his response to her forgotten as he recalled the insult she'd given him about falling in love with her. Such a hypocrite she was now, wanting to keep him close to her. Perhaps she'd call it 'fondness' if he questioned it, and Terebel found it annoyed him.

"No." he said simply, giving her a smug grin. Her flirty smile melted from her face, and she stared at him in shock. "I have carried out my task milady, now if you'll excuse me I must find out what I am to do to become a Palus Knight." He bowed stiffly and walked away from her, leaving her fuming in his wake.

After that, it seemed like a whole new world had been opened up to Terebel. He found that if he pretended to love a woman, he could easily get her to accompany him into his bed, or if she was rich, get her to fund his weapons and armor. After becoming a Palus Knight, he spent his time traveling the land as a spy for hire by various clans, making his money by procuring secrets from the women of clans and giving it to their enemies.

He was well aware that he was breaking hearts each time he told his lovers goodbye, and it did sadden him a bit. He was genuinely attracted to each and every girl he went with, but none of them fit against him or left him feeling warm and comforted like he'd felt in that dream that his mothers had given him. He gave up the idea of ever falling in true love, and was content with bouncing between lovers the rest of his life.

Intermittently, Terebel would still get nightmares of the torture his mothers put him through. The rage he would feel at the injustice of what they forced a child through would send him out with sword drawn, slaying every beast in sight. A Dark Elf saw him during one such episode outside of Gludio, and suggested that, with the grace of his footwork, that he become a Bladedancer. This surprised Terebel, as he'd been content with staying a Palus Knight for so long, he'd never thought of what to do beyond that.

Thirty eight years passed, and he finally did become a Bladedancer. It was somewhat shameful with how long it took him to gain that title, but with the end of the Gracian war came clans eager to become lords over the lands, and needed a spy to bring down their competition, and he'd been busy for many years because of it.

His current lover, a pretty light elf with short pink hair, invited him to accompany her to the Grand Saint's Day party in the Elven Village. Finding that he had nothing else to do, Terebel decked himself out in a set of Arcane robes that the Elf rented for him, and attended the party.

Terebel had been to the Elven Village's party before, several years prior. After discovering what the sprigs of berries and leaves hanging above various spots throughout the village were for, he'd enthusiastically taken part in the tradition and kissed every girl that passed close to him. Most giggled flirtily, except one.

As soon as he snagged the hand of an Elf with platinum blonde hair and planted a kiss on her lips, he found himself running for his life through the village. The girl, whose name he'd never caught, apparently didn't take too kindly to her first kiss being stolen by a stranger, and was out for blood. He hadn't been interested in returning to the party since, but went because his lover was cute.

The night dragged on at an agonizingly slow pace, and Terebel began to grow bored with his Elf companion. She was surprisingly dry in a social situation, and spent most of her time gossiping with friends. It was while she was gossiping that Terebel noticed a silver-haired Elf wearing a white and silver tunic and skirt, standing next to a violet-haired Dark Elf. He blinked rapidly behind his mask and put a hand on his chest, confused as to why his heart suddenly thudded. His heart fell as a Dark Elf man with white hair approached the women and began talking with them. The Light Elf blushed as she spoke with the man, and he turned away in disappointment, thinking his chance to flirt with her passed.

He watched her the rest of the night, curious as to why she remained at the outskirts of the party, shyly avoiding everyone there. She yawned just as much as he, and he was secretly pleased that he wasn't the only bored one there. Watching her filled him with the warm feeling he'd felt in the presence of the child in his mother's torture-dream, and he wanted to bask in that emotion, starved for it for so long.

As he leaned against one of the darkened houses some time later, he watched her intensely as his lover attempted to regain his attention by kissing his neck. She had purred that she wanted Terebel to take her somewhere private, but Terebel found he just wasn't interested in her anymore. His ears turned red in embarrassment as the silver-haired Elf turned slowly, as if sensing his presence there, and looked at him with an unreadable, wide-eyed expression. He kept his return gaze cool and calm, and the Elf blushed. They looked at each other for only a few seconds, although it felt like forever, before the Elf bolted into the crowd. Terebel's heart fell again, and he angrily pushed his companion away from him.

He broke up with her an hour later; finally fed up with how possessive she was being of him. He spent the rest of the night watching the silver haired Elf, trying to figure out why his heart thudded so. He wanted a chance to speak with her alone, but for some reason he found his legs wouldn't carry him over to flirt with her suavely. He felt awkward when he thought of talking to her, as if he were once again the inexperienced boy of fourteen. His chance finally came as he happened across the Elf later, standing at the edge of town, looking out over the forest.

Unable to find anything interesting to say to begin a conversation, Terebel stood dumbly until she whipped around, noticing his presence. Terebel quickly searched his mind for an excuse as she watched him skeptically. The faint sounds of a child's music box chimed out from a window somewhere behind him, helping fuel an idea quickly. He held out his hand elegantly towards her, inviting her to dance.

"What do you want?" she asked cautiously, stopping herself from placing her hand in his. Feeling sure that his Dark Elf mysteriousness was doing the trick of attracting the woman more than his words ever could, he simply held out his hand again. Truth be told, he was stunned speechless by how she looked in the moonlight and couldn't find words otherwise. He pulled her close as she finally placed her hand in his, his heart thumping eagerly as she tripped over her feet and fell onto his chest.

He led her in a dance that seemed to be something from a child's storybook, with the way the Pixy's of the Forest flew about them, sprinkling them with sparkling dust. The mood around them changed as he pulled her back to his chest from a spin, and he could tell she was feeling the exact same way as he.

He slowly slid his hands up her face to her cheeks and removed her mask, wanting desperately to see her face. She was beautiful without the mask obscuring her features, and Terebel couldn't help himself any longer. He pressed her up against the store they had stopped against and began kissing her. She responded with equal enthusiasm, and he was sure he wouldn't have been able to make it into a house with her until his acute hearing caught the sound of someone approaching.

"Hey Narlafayn!" a rough female voice shouted. A surge of fear went through Terebel's body, ruining the mood for him, and he pulled away from the Elf and melted into the shadows. He recognized the voice to be the one of the Elf that had tried to kill him for kissing her. _Man, she's connected to her?_ He thought in disappointment_. Her name is Narlafayn,_ he thought with a grin as he watched the Elf scold her for being out so late before dragging her back to their house.

Quite satisfied with the evening despite the fact that he didn't get a chance to do any more with the pretty Light Elf, Terebel returned to his normal life the next day. During one job, he met a human teen by the name of Ryonai, who was in the process of forming a clan of his own. He had recently become a Paladin, and was traveling the land looking for ways to strengthen his clan and gather members.

A bubble-brained, pink-haired Light Elf by the name of Shizuka traveled with him. Terebel couldn't help but feel uneasy in Shizuka's presence. He would catch her, at odd times, staring at him with an unreadable expression that echoed that of his mothers. He chalked it up to the air being released from her brain momentarily, but it still unnerved him.

Ryonai invited Terebel to be part of his clan, but Terebel declined. Instead he promised to keep tabs on them, and help him when he needed it. Remaining outside of a clan was beneficial, Ryonai knew, because then Terebel could gather information for him when it was needed.

Two years later, Terebel saw the silver-haired Light Elf again as he brought his latest lover to the Wedding she was to attend. Narlafayn stood next to the bride as she was reciting her vows to her fiancée, and met his gaze as he stared at her in shock. She twitched slightly as they stared at each other, and Terebel's heart began to thud once again. Knowing he was lingering too long and would be noticed, he tore himself away from Narlafayn's beautiful eyes and dashed out of the castle.

He paused right outside of the doors and gazed through a thin opening, watching the rest of the wedding through it. As the bride and groom began to kiss, Narlafayn was grabbed by the Groom's best man and kissed as well. Terebel's jaw clenched as he felt a stab of jealousy go through him, and he turned to dash out of the castle before giving it much thought.

Terebel carried out various jobs for clans in the following months, each one as successful as the last. Until one day he was duped by an alliance trying to fish out the spy that had revealed their secrets to an enemy clan before. There was a battle of five men against him, and Terebel fled for his life.

He kept to the west coast of the continent, living off and on in an abandoned farmhouse near Windy Hill and taking odd monster-slaying jobs from people in Gludin. This lifestyle was incredibly boring for him, but he was smart enough to know when to lie low.

One cold night at the start of winter, Terebel returned to the abandoned farmhouse on Windy Hill to find it clean and apparently occupied. Asleep in the bed, much to his surprise was Narlafayn. She had a look of sadness gracing her face even in sleep, and it pained Terebel's heart to see her making such an expression. He'd dreamt of her many times since seeing her again in Innadril Castle, despite the few lovers he'd taken in those months.

He returned several nights in a row to watch her sleep (and snuck a few hours of sleep in the house himself, on the couch in the front room), and would leave flowers as a 'payment' to her. After watching her during the day a safe distance away, Terebel realized that the flowers seemed to perk her up a bit, and ease the look of pain she carried each day. Wanting to erase it completely, he began scrambling to every city he could that was reachable by Gatekeeper during the day, stealing expensive out-of-season flowers from the merchants and taking them back to Windy Hill to give to her.

Spring began to ease up on him, and Terebel reluctantly left his hide-and-seek life with Narlafayn behind to venture into the Dark Forest for the annual Hunt of Shilen. He'd never taken part in the hunt festival before, but had often heard people speak of how it benefited Dark Elves with the social ties they could make. With Terebel's current stature in the world of clans, he needed all of the ties he could get.

Still too reluctant to really go far from Windy Hill, Terebel remained at the foot of the low mountain range separating the Dark Forest from the Hill, and continued sending flowers to Narlafayn through the Wind Spirits. While camped out there one night, the violet-haired Dark Elf he remembered standing next to Narlafayn at the Grand Saints Day party happened across him and forced him to take her to the Dark Elven Village.

Along the way they talked of Narlafayn, and what happened between him and her at the Grand Saint's Day Party. The woman, whose name was Vuylay, seemed to harbor some bitterness towards Narlafayn at the time, and didn't want to speak of her much.

A strange illness afflicted Vuylay, where she would feel phantom pain when there was no injury to her body. She attempted to explain it to him as they traveled, so he would not become alarmed if she broke down, but Terebel dismissed the story as confusing and ignored it. This was unfortunate for him to not have listened to her, as one night she flung herself at him and pleaded for him to bed her out of the blue. In a rush of breath as she undressed him, she explained she was emotionally connected to someone and felt what they felt, even the most intense of emotions. Having not lain with someone for a few months, Terebel went along with her request without a fight, but would easily admit that the both of them felt awkward and dirty after all was said and done.

They made the rest of their journey to the Village in near silence, too embarrassed to look at each other. He thought their ways were to be permanently parted once they reached the Village, but found that she was leaving for Oren the same day he was. She was a member of Haibane, and Ryonai had requested her presence in the fortress city. Terebel had a job offer with the Redemption alliance to spy on their mortal enemy that they planned on fighting in a castle siege within the month. So thus they traveled together once more, allies despite the discomfort each felt towards the other.

While Terebel went off to start his work by wooing the girlfriend of Conviction's leader, Vuylay joined Haibane as they waited for Cesa, a Light Elf on pilgrimage to the Sea of Spores, to return. During the siege on Oren Castle that Terebel unwittingly was caught in, he and Narlafayn were reunited, as he saved her from grave injury and brought her to Haibane.

Many things happened afterwards, but all were brought to us in other prose. When we last saw Terebel, he was living in the Elven Village, waiting for Narlafayn to return as she went about her tasks to become a Temple Knight.


	5. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_In which Narlafayn returns from her tasks, and things go sour_

"So good to be back in the peace and quiet." Narlafayn said as she and Vuylay walked on a well-worn path through the Elven Forest. It was early summer, and the sun filtered through the trees, casting strange patterns of light upon the two Elves. Birds twittered happily in the trees, and far in the distance, a few locusts, early for the year, began to chirp.

"It's about time we made it back." Vuylay said in feigned bitterness. Narlafayn frowned and glanced over at her gray-skinned friend to find her holding back a budding smile. She stuck her tongue out at her before looking up at the trees and watching the sun sparkle through the leaves as they walked.

Both women had left a little over a year prior to take on the tasks that would prove them worthy to be hailed in the next class for their chosen profession. Many months of hard work later they were returning as a Temple Knight and Shilen Elder. Narlafayn finally was able to shed her Mithril armor for a more comfortable, brown and rosy red armor set called Dwarven Chain, while Vuylay simply turned her green and white Divine dress robes into her everyday attire as she had for her Robes of Magic.

"Everyone is going to pop a cog when they see you out of that damn Mithril set." Vuylay said, as if reading Narlafayn's thoughts. "You were a Knight way too long." She sighed and shifted the strap holding the quiver to her back. Unlike other mages, Vuylay preferred to carry a bow and arrow. She gazed off into the distance, her eyes clouding over slightly as she became lost in her thoughts. As they were traveling back to the Elven Forest she'd been 'plagued' with feelings from Shizuka, and Narlafayn wondered if her thoughts had drifted to Ryonai. She could tell the Dark Elfwas struggling with stronger emotions for the young Paladin; the sniffling she heard from Vuylay's sleeping area at night gave that much away.

"Yeah well, I was comfortable." Narlafayn finally retorted, stretching her arms above her head. Being back in the forest made her feel at ease, like a great weight had been lifted off of her.

"So how are you going to celebrate your promotion when we get to the Village? Have a little quality time with Terebel?" Vuylay asked wickedly, grinning widely. Narlafayn dropped her arms quickly, her cheeks hot with a blush.

"Our relationship isn't like that..." Narlafayn said in a muted voice, glancing away from her. Vuylay stood up straight from the sly bent pose she'd taken and frowned.

"And why not? The poor guy put his life on hold for nearly three years to appeal to you. Personally I would've settled down and had dozens of his kids if I were you, after that kind of treatment." Vuylay stated, folding her arms across her chest. When Narlafayn clenched her jaw shut and stared hard at the dirt path, she sighed bitterly. "Seriously, I know you were hurt pretty bad by Deathswalker, but stop taking it out on poor Terebel. I think he's proven enough that he likes you more than just a passing fling."

"It's not that I wouldn't...like him." Narlafayn began uneasily, "…it's just that..." she sighed through her nose and fiddled with the hilt of her sword before continuing. "I'm scared to further anything with him, that's all."

"Scared of what?" Vuylay asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically. Narlafayn pushed a lock of hair behind her ear as she looked back up at the forest around her.

"I feel like I'll loose sense of myself if I really get close to him... I don't understand it at all, and it scares me." She said, gazing into the distance.

"Play me a violin. Geez you've just got it bad, that's all." Vuylay said, rolling her eyes. "When we get back, lead him into your room and go at it like wild bunnies until the boy's libido is sated. He's a Dark Elf who's all but taken a vow of chastity to satisfy your weird megalomaniac tendencies so he probably needs it."

"Can we change this subject already?" Narlafayn asked meekly, her blush spreading to the rest of her face.

"And talk about what? There's nothing more interesting than your lack of a romantic life." Vuylay grinned.

"Swords are nice..." Narlafayn attempted weakly, earning another scoff from her friend.

"Only Mune can pull off that conversation." Vuylay said, patting Narlafayn on her head for trying.

"Narlafayn, welcome back!" Cesa exclaimed happily as she and Vuylay trudged through the archway into the village itself. Cesa stood by the Gatekeeper, bouncing her three year old fussing son on her hip. The boy kept whining "No!" and pushing on his mother as if something were distressing him. Cesa's grip was firm though, and his struggling was in vain.

"Hi Cesa, how have you been?" Narlafayn said, smiling as she and Vuylay approached her. Vuylay glanced around herself warily as if scared Mune was going to drop down from the roof of the gazebo the Gatekeeper stood in and try to kill her.

"Oh I'm just elegant!" Cesa said, moving her head as Waverly attempted to push on her face. "Goodness Waverly, what is the matter with you? You should behave darling!" Cesa finally scolded in a gentle tone.

"No tree!" Waverly whined, pushing on her again. Cesa sighed bitterly and put him on the ground, where he fell onto his bottom to cry at being abandoned by his mother.

"Honestly, trees are our friends darling, why must you cry every time one is in sight? You were conceived under the loving shadow of a tree!" Cesa exclaimed. Narlafayn's smile faded and her eye began to twitch lightly.

"Telling the poor kid that from an early age would make anyone terrified of trees." Vuylay muttered under her breath. Waverly fussed for a few more seconds before pushing himself to his feet and toddling over to Narlafayn and Vuylay. His green eyes grew wide with wonder and he put a hand on Narlafayn's sword hilt.

"Where is everyone?" Narlafayn asked, smiling nervously as Waverly continued to touch the sword as if it were the greatest thing he'd ever put his little pudgy hand on.

"They drifted away after you and Vuylay left ages ago, you didn't see any of them while doing your tasks?" Cesa said, her eyebrows rising in surprise. "Lavinia says she's traveling with a Dwarf now, and goodness knows where Mune's gotten to now." She shook her head and sighed. Mune's penchant for getting into trouble with Dark Elves while unsupervised had most likely landed her in a tight spot, and it worried Cesa.

"Where's Terebel?" Narlafayn asked. A strange feeling of dread placed itself in her chest as she realized he wasn't in the village, and her heart began to thud. Cesa looked at her blankly for a moment, trying to recall when she'd last seen him.

"Hmm... Good question." She said, shifting on her feet as she thought.

"Good question? You mean he booked it?" Vuylay asked incredulously. "Narla, you did send him a letter telling him we'd be back, didn't you?" she asked, turning to face her.

"Of course I did." Narlafayn stated, glaring at Vuylay's tone of voice.

"The mail carrier was attacked on the road by a rogue party a few weeks ago. They just recently recovered his body and delivered the mail he had a couple of days ago." Celleriant's voice came as he approached them. Cesa was at his side in an instant, hugging him enthusiastically as if she hadn't seen him for ages. "Terebel left before the letter was delivered, so he didn't get it." He held up the parchment that Narlafayn recognized sending him from Giran.

"Did he say where he was going?" Narlafayn asked, trying to mask the desperation in her voice. Vuylay raised an eyebrow, catching it despite the efforts to keep it hidden. Narlafayn didn't understand why she felt scared all of a sudden, but even after what she had just admitted to Vuylay on the trip there, she wanted nothing more than to see him.

"Hmm…" Celleriant grunted as he thought in a similar mannerism to Cesa. "I believe he said he was going back to the Dark Forest. Something about finding the house where he was born for reminiscing reasons."

"Sorry to say hi and run." Narlafayn murmured as she spun on her heel and marched back the way she'd come. Vuylay blinked rapidly as Narlafayn quickly retreated through the archway to the bridge leading back to land.

"Narla, we just got here!" Vuylay protested, her mouth agape. "Why are you in such a hurry to find him all of a sudden? He probably got bored!" Narlafayn gave no sign of hearing her or slowing to wait for her to catch up. "I don't believe this; she was just going on about how she was uneasy to see him again." Vuylay grumbled. Sighing heavily, she picked up her bow from where she'd let it drop to the ground.

"Vuylay, wait a moment!" Celleriant called. He stepped around Waverly, who was sitting on the ground crying as his object of fascination had been taken from him. From the inside of his armor he pulled out an extra Haibane crest and handed it to her. "Ryonai is being insistent now. He told us that when we saw Narlafayn again to pin her down and torture her with tickling if we had to, to make her join Haibane." He said, grinning. "He's got some big plans for the near future, and even if she doesn't stay in the clan forever, he needs her help."

Several hours earlier, Terebel stood in the middle of what had once been a rather large house. Foundation stone, pillars and strange pieces of glass that glowed as the light reflected upon it were all that remained after the carnage of the Gracian war. Terebel had no memory of the house of his birth, but a strange feeling tugged at his insides upon seeing its skeleton again.

The wind blew through the vine-covered trees, the wood creaking as the branches moved. Terebel raised his head swiftly, the air carrying the faint scent of bloodlust from far away. A creature of battle he'd become in the time since Narlafayn had left, and his legs moved to carry him towards the source of the scent.

It was embarrassing to say that Terebel's newly recovered lust for battle was the product of being sexually frustrated. Truth be said, after the first year of focusing on battle instead of a warm body in bed with him, it became a second, comforting nature. He enjoyed exerting himself in battle more than bedding a woman these days, and he wasn't sure he could ever return to the previous soft, lazy life. He was brought back to the days where he learned under Prabodh in Aden, the days where his only focus was to become stronger, instead of whom his next conquest would be.

_How could I have ever forgotten this freedom? _He thought as he cut through a wandering spider before it ever noticed he'd been standing there. A dark smile touched his face as its green blood spread on the grass, its legs twitching as the nerves in its body died. He leapt over it gracefully before dashing into the shadows of the Dark Forest.

"Leave this place, it is protected by the will of Shilen!" a white-haired Dark Elf by the name of Kartia commanded boldly. She stood in one of the three entrances that led into the Temple of Shilen with her arms spread. Behind her huddled one other Abyssal Celebrant trying to calm a group of frightened Dark Elven children. Behind them, Hierarch Mitarell shouted angry retorts in the ancient language of the elves, unable to move due to the bonds placed on him many years before.

The cause for so much anxiety was a band of rogues, made up of a few elves, humans and Orcs, stood outside of the Temple, jeering and laughing cruelly. At their feet laid the other four Abyssal Celebrants that had been on duty, and Mitarell's handmaiden. They were all fatally wounded. Thinking the students safe as they trained in the Garden of Shilen, the sentinels had wandered away to scout other areas. It was an unfortunate mix of timing that was, at the moment, proving to be deadly.

"Lookit this guys, she thinks she's the voice of justice!" One of the rogues, an Elf, jeered. Scattered dark chuckling met his voice, and a human drew close to Kartia, his dagger drawn.

"So I hear Dark Elves will bed anyone, is that true?" he asked, lightly tracing the tip of his dagger along Kartia's jaw. She did not respond other than to shift her defiant glare to his face.

"Leave her be!" a young boy student shouted. He'd been struck with an incurable crush on the older Elf, and was teased quite often for it.

"So you like them young, eh?" the human asked with a smirk, the dagger tip traveling south from her face. It came to rest at the metal clasp holding her richly decorated bikini top shut. Kartia's eye twitched slightly as he began to apply a gentle pressure to the clasp, a lustful grin on his face.

"I said leave her be!" the youth shouted, breaking away from the group and dashing at the human with his own dagger drawn. He shoved it as hard as he could into the human's thigh, who shouted angrily in pain. The human backhanded the young elf and ripped the dagger from his leg with another groan of pain.

"Oh no you don't." the Elf chuckled, grabbing Kartia before she rushed to the youth's side. "Ha-ha, you know better than to rip the blade from your skin like that, Maytew, I don't feel sorry for you one bit." The elf laughed, licking Kartia's neck. The human cursed loudly and kicked the younger Dark Elf in the face with his good leg, before collapsing to the ground in pain from putting weight on his bad leg. The Dark Elf grunted and attempted to slowly push himself to his knees, blood pouring from his mouth.

"Stupid little runt, we'll teach you to fear our name!" the Orc said loudly, pulling a pole axe from where it was secured upon his back. Kartia cried out in fear as the axe was raised high above the Orc's head. The youth winced and raised an arm protectively across his face as it was swung down with force. There was a sound of metal meeting metal in that second, and the youth opened his eyes again to find the Orc's axe halted on the blade of a sword held by an older Dark Elf that suddenly stood over him.

"It disgusts me to find people so desperate to become known that they have to bully the weak." Terebel said in a low, growling voice.  
>"Who's this?" the Elf holding Kartia demanded. Kartia's eyes had widened, and she stared at Terebel, speechless. Terebel pushed out of the blade lock with the Orc and before the Orc could regain his momentum, slashed at him gracefully with one blade, and then the other. Blood sprayed from the Orc's chest, and he fell backwards, clutching the wounds.<p>

"Get him!" the human, still on the ground clutching his leg, shouted. The Elf dashed at Terebel next, pushing Kartia to the ground as he ran. She fell on her side, and looked up quickly as Terebel met the Elf's single sword with one of his, her hair falling over her face in strands. Before the Elf was cut down, the rest of the rogue group recovered from the stupor they'd landed in at seeing the Orc cut down in less than ten seconds, and converged upon him as well.

Terebel spun and parried each of the blows, looking as if he were dancing through the enemies. The group of children once huddled inside of the temple emerged far enough from it to watch him in awe, and those clutching swords' eyes were alight as they wished they were Bladedancers as well in that moment. He thrust his blade through the chest of one rogue, his blow instantly fatal, and without pause moved to the next enemy. His blade pierced flesh, cut skin and the muscles and nerves below that. The rogues fell one after another and soon only Terebel was left in the center of the ring of bodies lying around him, down on one knee with is swords held away from his body in an elegant finish to the deadly dance.

He panted lightly from exertion as the children poured out of the temple cheering and kicking at the prone bodies of the rogues. He did not see them as they gathered about him, asking him questions about his footwork or congratulating him on how quickly he dealt with them. The only thing he saw was the blood covering the grass, filling him with the Dark Elven bloodlust for more.

"I can't believe it's you, Terebel." Kartia said in a sultry voice, putting her hand on his shoulder. He stood and turned quickly to face her, sheathing his swords as he went. His eyes narrowed slightly as he focused on her face, remembering her from long ago. She had been his first  
>love, but had broken his heart in a show of grandeur claiming Dark Elves never loved. On a normal day, Terebel would've awkwardly chatted with her briefly before moving back to the town. Now, with the strange dark instinct filling him, he instead grabbed her roughly by her arms, jostling her with the movement, and planted a rough, possessive kiss on her lips.<p>

"Oh dear." The other Abyssal Celebrant said in a grim voice, ushering the children back towards the town so he could tend to the wounded and the dead. He pulled away from the kiss abruptly, Kartia drawing in a gasping breath.

"Oh my, if I would've known seeing you again brought such pleasantries, I would've done it long ago." She said, smiling seductively at him. "Such a grand warrior you've become." She purred, twirling the ends of the hair that fell over his right eye around her finger. Terebel said nothing, but stared at her with an intense, unreadable expression. Caught in the moment he kissed her again, and began to lead her across the vast field towards an unkempt house on the northern shoreline near the mountains.

Narlafayn and Vuylay popped into existence nearly an hour later next to the Gatekeeper of the Dark Elven village. Not wanting to hike over the mountains to get to the Dark Elven Village from the Elven Village, Vuylay chased the determined Elf down and forced her to return to the Elven Village and take the Gatekeeper.

"Wait up, would you? Do you even know where his old house is located?" Vuylay said loudly as Narlafayn marched away the instant she popped into existence.

"Not a clue." Narlafayn murmured, focusing on the exit in front of her. The end of a staff was thrust out ahead of her feet, catching her unaware and sending her crashing to the black marbled ground. Narlafayn was back on her feet in an instant, her face contorted into rage as she searched out her offender.

"So sorry, I didn't see you there." Amari stated with a grin.

"Thanks, I don't think I would've caught up to her otherwise." Vuylay said, appearing beside him.

"What's the big idea, I'm in a hurry!" Narlafayn exclaimed, turning away from them.

"Hello to you too, nice to see you after all of this time as well." Amari stated flatly. Narlafayn growled in exasperation, but was tripped again by his staff before she could take another step fully.

"What was that for now?" she snapped, rubbing her bruised knees.

"Oh that one? Fun." He responded airily. "Where might you be headed in such a hurry? Something I might be of assistance with?"

"Do you remember Hydrosfear and Zraa?" Vuylay asked, looking at the Spellhowler. Amari shuddered almost the instant the sentence left her mouth.

"That pair... I don't have very clear memories of them but what I do recall makes me never want to recall it again." Amari said, his mouth set in a grim line. "Why on earth are you asking about them?"

"Terebel's their kid, see." Vuylay began. This sudden news caused Amari to drop his staff, the head hitting Narlafayn on top of her skull. She doubled over with her hands covering the point of impact, wincing. "…and we think he's gone back to where they used to live for some bizarre reminiscing reason. Can you point us in the direction of their house so Narla will calm down?"

Amari sighed heavily and rubbed his forehead. "I can't quite dictate proper directions to their house, but I happened across it on my way to the Neutral Zone once. I'll lead you there." He said weakly, as if suddenly tired. "Let me stop at my house for a moment though, I'd like to drop a few things off there and open up a window to air it out so it's at least semi-livable in there before tonight." He led the way from there, the two women following behind him in near-silence.

"Can you tell me now why you're in such a hurry all of a sudden? You were so unsure of seeing him again just a bit ago, what's the sudden change?" Vuylay asked, glaring at Narlafayn.

"I just have a bad feeling, is all… I can't explain it." Narlafayn said with a shrug.

"Hello, what happened out here?" Amari asked, pausing in his trek. Ahead of him several townsfolk and a few sentinels were wrapping up bodies of obviously dead people and carrying them over to the cliff edge overlooking the ocean, where they threw them in.

"It was so cool, this awesome looking Bladedancer came and just whoosh!" an enthusiastic Dark Elven lad exclaimed, hearing Amari's question. He demonstrated his imitation of Terebel's footwork to them.

"That sounds like it could be our wayward lover boy. Which way did he go?" Vuylay asked the twirling boy, leaning over slightly to be closer to his level.

"That way." He said, pointing in the direction of the house. "The Abyssal Celebrant sez he has some business to finish and we shouldn't go over there until he comes out."

"Not in my house!" Amari suddenly groaned, rushing towards the looming dark building in the distance. The girls raced after him as quickly as they could, but the mage seemed to have a burst of superhuman speed. He was already inside the house screaming at something by the time they reached the doorway. Narlafayn and Vuylay raced in without pause, following the sound of Amari's voice. They skidded to a halt inside of a bedroom lined with books, a bewildered looking Elven pair staring at them, trying to cover obvious nakedness with the dust sheets that'd once been on the furniture. "NOT IN MY ROOM! AAGH!" Amari cried, lightly banging his forehead against the wall.

"Narlafayn?" Terebel exclaimed, holding a sheet over his lower half with a look of petrified fear on his face. The pair stared at each other in silent bewilderment as Kartia attempted to slip out of Amari's bed and towards her clothes.

"Well well, the super slut strikes again." Vuylay said acidicly, stomping her booted foot on the gauzy loincloth that the women Celebrants wore as Kartia attempted to retrieve it. "Just had to go after someone else's man, hmm?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, daughter of a pustule-ridden Keltir, but I was never informed of 'someone else.'" Kartia responded with equal hatred, glaring up at the healer. "And even if I was, that does not change that Dark Elves belong to no single person, a lesson you failed to learn properly." She jerked the cloth from underneath Vuylay's foot, tearing it. "Terebel was delightfully pent up; it doesn't seem to me like there is 'anyone'." She said smugly as she strutted out of the room. She paused next to Amari and smirked at him. "Get used to it Scum flesh, this house is used quite often for trysting." Amari paused in pounding his head against the wall to stare at her in sheer disbelief, a look that was being echoed on Narlafayn's face at that moment.

"Narlafayn, look I…" Terebel began feebly, trying to shuffle towards his own clothes. Narlafayn's jaw clenched hard and visible tears welled up in her eyes. She turned away from him quickly and hurried from the room almost as fast as she had entered. "Narlafayn!" Terebel began, taking a step towards the door. He gave Vuylay a desperate, pleading look as she regarded him without expression.

"You're scum." Vuylay spat, glaring at him. Terebel's look of hope dropped and he sank to the floor as Vuylay followed after her friend. It was silent in the room after that, Amari still staring in shock at where Kartia once stood.

"Amari..." Terebel began, looking at the older elf.

"Ah!" Amari said suddenly, holding up a hand to halt any more conversation. "I'm quite possibly just as mad as they are, seeing as how you used MY BEDROOM to conduct your affair. That's quite disgusting, now I'm going to have to buy a whole new bed set before I can sleep in here properly again. This one has memories for me, you realize, so I'm not quite happy with that." He said with a glare. Terebel looked away from him and focused on his knees, which he bent slightly to rest his hand on. "I hope all of this was worth it to you in the end, that was a pretty low thing of you to do."

"But Narlafayn never..." he began, attempting to protest on his behalf. Amari's eye visibly twitched, and Terebel let his sentence drop. He sighed heavily as Amari picked up his undergarments between two fingers and held them out to him. "Something's happening to me, Amari...something strange." he said, standing to dress.

"Oh? Are you sure it isn't a late puberty?" Amari said, raising his eyebrows. Terebel lowered his eyelids in an annoyed look until the mage turned away. "Joking aside, what feels different?" Amari asked, looking at one of his bookshelves to make sure all of the books were still there.  
>"I feel like there's this dark…creature…or something...inside of me." Terebel said, fastening his pants. "When I fight, I'm happy...even more than when I…"<p>

"…behave as a normal id-driven Dark Elf?" Amari finished for him. "It sounds to me like your nature is just emerging late and you're not used to it. I guess you focused too much on the one nature and forgot about the other." He said with a shrug. "Personally I wouldn't worry about it. The feelings that is, but you're going to have a hell of a hard time getting back on Narlafayn's good side, I think."

"Thank you for bringing this conversation to an abrupt halt." Terebel said, shutting his eyes into a thin line.

"You're very welcome." Amari said cheerfully, smiling brightly.

Vuylay found Narlafayn standing on the edge of the cliff overlooking the ocean. She seemed to be focused on the tiny speck of an island in the distance. It was said on that Island that creatures that were supposed to have been long since extinct still roamed freely there. Nobody but the strongest of fighters dared to venture there and find out, and nobody had returned yet to tell of what they'd seen.

"Narla…" Vuylay began softly, approaching the silver-haired Elf slowly. Narlafayn glanced over her shoulder at her friend for a moment before returning her gaze onto the ocean. She stood next to her and watched her face before shutting her own eyes. "I'm sorry; this is unlike him…maybe something's wrong."

"Why are you apologizing, did you know he was going to be in there with that woman?" Narlafayn asked, her voice hard and controlled.

"No, but I had a feeling something like this would happen." Vuylay responded, matching Narlafayn's tone angrily. Narlafayn turned to stare at her with large eyes, her mouth parted slightly as if to fire a retort, but Vuylay went on before her voice came, "I told you he's a Dark Elf, and Dark Elves..."

"Dark Elves what, can't behave as normal people? I'm sick of the excuses your race has just so they can get away with things that hurt other people!" Narlafayn snapped. "You're a spoiled lot, all of you, never wanting to get reprimanded for doing something wrong, so you make stupid excuses like that to get away with it!" She turned away from Vuylay's bewildered look and focused back on the crashing waves. "We're both made from the same goddess in this world, right? So then why is it that Light Elves don't behave as you do, if these behaviors are specific to race?"

"The teachings say..." Vuylay began weakly, unable to truly answer Narlafayn's question.

"To hell with the teachings! They mean nothing in the matters of the heart!" Narlafayn interrupted, her voice growing higher-pitched. "All I see is a group that was taught from year one to be afraid of falling in love, and to take pleasure in hurting those who do!" Tears streamed from her eyes and she sobbed once at the end of her sentence.

"Love...?" Terebel's voice came quietly from behind Vuylay. Both women turned to find him and Amari standing several feet away, Terebel watching them with an unreadable expression. "You left me hanging for three years without so much as a simple kiss here and there and you expect me to believe you now that you loved?" Terebel spat angrily, challenging Narlafayn. "I upheld my end of the deal for so much longer than that simple month you said it was going to last, and you gave me nothing, not even a hint that you were truly interested and not just stringing me along because you were bored." Narlafayn's anger faded and her eyes widened as she was stricken with a memory of Cesa's wedding party, when they kissed behind the house. That wasn't boredom; didn't he know those were her honest feelings?

"When I found out about how you'd been hurt so badly before, I made myself patient, hoping beyond hope that you'd see how I would've never hurt you like he did, but did you? No! You were blind to how much I cared and wallowed in your own self-pity as if you LIKED it there! I showed you love _and_ devotion, Narlafayn, when I put my life on hold just to take care of your sorry ass while you were locked up in Lavinia's house, depressed because you couldn't return to a land that, if you truly cared about me first and foremost, wouldn't have wanted to return to in the first place! _THAT_ was love, so spare me your anger until you have something to prove your side was the right one!" he snarled.

"Whoa." Amari said in a low voice, shocked at his speech.

"I'm through with this." Terebel said dismissively, turning away from the women. "Amari, where was it that you said Ryonai wanted us to meet?"

"Uh…Heine." Amari responded as if unsure of himself.

"No." Narlafayn whimpered, taking a step towards Terebel. "Please no." Another step. The ground began to shake with her third step, and a feeling akin to electricity surged through her. Her pupils suddenly expanded, turning her entire eye black in less than a second as the sky and land turned blood red. Terebel stumbled with the shaking of the earth, his eyes rolled up into his head and he fell to his knees after wobbling.

Narlafayn felt as if her soul was whisked away in the few seconds that the earth and sky were blood red. Quicker than sound she flew over the land, being led by the cloaked man whom had appeared to her before. He said nothing, his face obscured by shadow as always. Her travel came to an abrupt stop somewhere in the middle of a forest. A caravan of wheeled wooden cages lay in pieces around the forest floor. Mutilated bodies were scattered amongst the cage pieces, most of them adult men, but a few looked to be teenagers or younger. Her black eyes darted this way and that, observing the bloody scenery with eerie attentiveness.

The cloaked man pointed away from his body, drawing Narlafayn's gaze towards it. In the distance a young girl held an almost-familiar blood red two-handed sword, cutting down the man who stood in front of her. Narlafayn tilted her head in a curious manner although her face remained placid, the girl seemed almost-familiar, like the sword, but right now she couldn't recall where she'd seen her before. The sword glowed with an unholy light which only grew as she cut through another body trying to run from her. There was sadness about the girl, despair that Narlafayn felt herself drawn to.

"She is not for you." The man in the cloak said as Narlafayn took a step towards her. The man put his arm around her waist to halt her. Something inside of Narlafayn trembled in both fear and joy at his touch, and she collapsed into his embrace. She was whisked back across fields and hills just as quickly as she raced across them the first time until she returned to the cliff, and to herself.

Her eyes returned to their normal violet and she wobbled, raising one hand to her head. She felt sluggish, as if she'd just woken up from a deep sleep. There was a loud gasp, and a hand whipped out and grasped her around her wrist, pulling her forward as she tilted backwards towards the ocean. She fell onto an almost unhealthily skinny chest, and looked up quickly to find Amari staring down at her, trying to fight away a blush of contact embarrassment. She pushed herself from him quickly, and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. _What just happened?_ She thought, not remembering anything after the earth rumbled. Nothing was blood red now, and she wondered if she'd imagined it all.

"Narla, help!" Vuylay pleaded. Narlafayn's eyes widened as she realized Vuylay knelt to the grass, supporting a limp Terebel from falling. "He just suddenly collapsed a few seconds ago; we need to get him back to town!"


	6. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_In which Narlafayn and Terebel make up, and Shilen throws a tantrum._

Finding the Village to be unforgiving to a band of misfit Dark Elves, Narlafayn and Vuylay returned to the Elven Village with Terebel. Amari assisted in getting them back to town, but then returned to the Dark Elven Village after Celleriant met them. Terebel was not a big man, not even a foot taller than Narlafayn, but for some reason the two women together could barely carry him. Celleriant and a family friend of Cesa's took over once they appeared, and carried him into Lavinia's unoccupied house.

Narlafayn sat up until late into the night, watching Terebel worriedly. There had been no indication of illness, according to the healers. From what they could see, he was perfectly healthy. It was chalked up then to be exhaustion, and assured the group of worried faces that he would be alright in the morning. Narlafayn was not so easily convinced however, and struggled against the pull of sleep to make sure his condition did not change during the night. Sweat beaded on his face several times during the course of the night, giving him a waxy pallor and causing Narlafayn jolts of anxiety. He thrashed a bit in his sleep, but would return to normal slumber soon after.

Her head began to nod early in the morning before the sun had risen, and she struggled to keep her eyes open. Tired of fighting it after a bit, she promised herself a quick catnap of a few minutes, and let her head sink down to her chest as her eyes gratefully shut firmly.  
>Arms slipped around her shoulders from behind, holding her in a kind of embrace. The skin was cold, and chilled her like icy water. The face of Shilen appeared from the shadows after her arms, and pressed her cheek against Narlafayn's. Her eyelids were half closed as she gazed towards Narlafayn's sleeping face, and the tiniest of dark smiles touched the corners of her perfect mouth.<p>

Fast moving, nightmarish images plagued Narlafayn's inner eye as the goddess of death exhaled upon her skin, covering it with frost. She saw a barren landscape, the sky dark and full of orange lightning. Craggy rock walls extended to the sky around her, nearly blotting it out. All around the rocky ground were bodies, cut down in the midst of battle. Standing amongst them, Narlafayn saw herself, holding a great glowing golden blade, similar to that she'd seen the girl wield. It dripped with blood, but for some reason that did not deter from its brilliance. She wore black armor, and gazed at the bodies as if they'd been nothing to her.

The faces of the dead stared up to the sky wearing expressions of despair or anger. Narlafayn recoiled within herself as she realized the faces were those of her friends, everyone she'd met up until then. "No." she murmured in her sleep, as her eyes gazed over even Waverly lying amongst them, still clutched protectively in his mother's embrace.

The Narlafayn holding the sword smiled darkly as the sound of large wings beating echoed through the sky. An army of angels landed on the other side of the gorge, decked out for battle. At their head stood a small framed angel, more brilliant than the others, glowing with an ethereal light. Her hair was long and white, and she wore a breastplate of pure gold with a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. This was not the caring mother figure that those in Aden worshipped, but the frightening goddess of victory that those in Elmore knew.

Changing her grip on the large golden blade, Narlafayn dashed at the angelic woman as she held up her own sword and let out a battle shout for her army to advance. Angels took up the shout as Narlafayn approached, and moved around their commander to meet her. Ice formed where she stepped, expanding out across the ground and covering the bodies of her friends in a layer of frost. She cut through the bodies of the angels as if they were paper, bloodied feathers flying into the air. She reached the angelic commander at the center, shrugging off the attacks of the angels as if they were nothing, and lifted her sword. Time seemed to slow then, as she slowly swung her sword out towards the woman, who raised her own sword and shield in an effort to stop her.

Narlafayn jerked awake quickly before her sword cut through the woman, and the image of Shilen slithered back into the shadows before she was seen. She gripped the arms of the chair she sat in, staring straight ahead with glassy eyes and breathing heavily. Again a dream where she cut down someone with that sword that she'd never seen before. Sighing heavily, she covered her face with her hands for a moment as she tried to will away the strange, heavy feeling in her gut. Taking a breath she stood, and she moved towards the bed to tuck Terebel in, finally ready to sleep if he was doing fine. He was awake, much to her surprise, and watching her through half-shut eyes. He looked weary and ill, jolting all sleep out of Narlafayn and waking her fully.

"How long have you been awake? You should rest more." Narlafayn said in a gentle voice. His sheets were damp as she pulled them up around him, and she frowned. He couldn't possibly sleep with them so wet; she'd have to make him get up so she could change them…

Her thoughts were interrupted as Terebel's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist firmly. She jerked out of his grip in surprise, and then felt guilty as it probably seemed she was avoiding his touch. His hand dropped back to where it had been resting on the bed, and she tried to give him an apologetic look.

"Is there any water?" he asked in a raspy voice. Narlafayn nodded and slipped away from his bed to the chest where a clear pitcher of water and glass had been set. Cesa was quite the doting hen when it came to her family, and had supplied the room with everything she thought Terebel would need to help him recover. She returned to his side a moment later and sat on the edge of the bed. Without thinking, she held his head up gently and held the glass to his mouth and tilted it so he could drink. All went well for about ten seconds until Terebel jerked his head away from her, spilling the water onto the bed and further soaking the sheets. "You could let me breathe once or twice, you know!" he said angrily, pushing himself up to sit with shaky arms. His look of anger dropped with Narlafayn's bewildered look and his eyes glazed over. "Deja vu." he murmured.

"Sorry." Narlafayn mumbled, placing the glass on the nightstand next to the bed and returning to her chair. She crammed her hands underneath her thighs and stared at her knees, suddenly feeling awkward now that he was awake. There was a moment of silence as Terebel tried to recall why he suddenly felt like this had all happened before. "Are you sick?" Narlafayn asked suddenly, causing the Bladedancer to jump.

"Not that I'm aware of." Terebel said uneasily, staring at the top blanket. Reality returned to him slowly, and guilt weighed heavily on his shoulders at all that had transpired the day before. Narlafayn opened her mouth but then closed it again, hesitating on voicing her thoughts. "Have you been watching me all night?" he asked in a sullen voice, lightly tracing the stitching pattern of the blanket with his forefinger. Narlafayn nodded, but did not speak, and glanced at the floor in discomfort.

"Why did you do it?" she finally summoned the courage to ask. Terebel clenched a fist, gripping the blanket tightly in his hand. He had been afraid that question would pop up.

"I think I told you why." He said with more force than intended. Narlafayn swallowed hard and shifted in her seat, but still did not look at him. He was not proud of letting himself be swept away by Dark Elven nature, in fact he wanted to throw himself to his knees in front of Narlafayn and plead for her forgiveness. Pride kept his voice silent however, still feeling that she was also partially at fault for his sudden dive into the dark side.

"Do you…like her?" Narlafayn asked, sinking further into her chair, bracing for the worst answer he could give her. Terebel's initial reply was a scoff of cynical laughter, and she swiftly raised her head to face him.

"My affection for Kartia faded a long time ago, I realize that now." He said, staring at the blanket still. "There's only one person I really care for right now, and it definitely isn't her."

"Oh." Narlafayn said, tears welling in her throat. How silly it was of her to expect him to still care for her after she'd left him for almost two years. What kind of selfish creature had she become? Of course he'd find someone else in that time! "I hope she's kinder to you than I was." Narlafayn said, her voice wavering. She forced a smile on her face despite the muscles in her cheeks and around her eyes twitching hard, trying to show the grief she felt at that moment. Terebel looked at her then with a look of extreme disbelief as Narlafayn pushed herself to her feet. "I'll go get new sheets for your bed…excuse me." She said, her voice soft and choked.

"Oh for the love of…Narlafayn, I'm talking about you!" Terebel exclaimed, putting a hand down on the bed as if he meant to start after her. Narlafayn stopped mid step and slowly looked at him with large eyes. "You little idiot, don't you realize that yet?" he asked her gently. Her face scrunching up into a tearfully joyous expression, Narlafayn nearly fell onto Terebel, hugging him fiercely and crying in both sadness for what had transpired earlier that day and relief. He held her as she cried, stroking her hair softly. The strange feeling that had jolted through him when the sky had turned red earlier returned in a zap akin to an electric shock. The muscles in his arms twitched as if they'd been electrified, and he winced. "I think…" he began, waiting for her to pull away from him enough to look into his face. "…that we should go slowly for awhile. Like how things have been." He said gently.

"But, earlier you said that..." Narlafayn protested. Why this now? She wanted nothing more than to leave the old stalemate their relationship had been in behind, as she thought he wanted too. Terebel put a finger on her lips, silencing her before she could continue.

"I just have a strange feeling for the near future. I think it would be unwise to totally focus on one another right now." He cupped her cheek with one hand and stroked the skin under her eye with his thumb. "Believe me, if we were to take the next step here and now like I really want to, we wouldn't be leaving this house for weeks." Narlafayn blushed and smiled slightly despite the look of sadness still on her face. She sniffled loudly and glanced away from his eyes as she pulled away and stood.

"I don't want you getting sick from sleeping on a moist bed." She said, holding out her hand for him to take. "You can…um…sleep in my room tonight." She glanced away from him as he took her hand, her cheeks a bright pink. "Just for sleeping, I mean." Terebel chuckled and stood. He stumbled slightly and fell heavily on her. "Are you ok?" she asked in alarm, holding onto him protectively.

"Just a little weak still for some reason." Terebel murmured, righting himself enough to where he was just leaning on her. "I should be ok after some more sleep." Narlafayn smiled warmly at him and led him out of the room that had once been Cesa's and toward hers. This was the first time she'd ever led a man to her room for anything, and her blush turned fierce at this realization.

After helping him into bed, she slipped away to dress in her nightclothes back in Cesa's old room. She emerged a moment later holding her armor in her arms to find Vuylay sitting on one of the strange legless chairs that Lavinia was fond of as furniture. Pursing her lips Narlafayn sighed lightly and approached her friend, who had her head against the back of the chair with her eyes shut.

"Shizuka bothering you again?" Narlafayn asked, leaning around the chair to peer into Vuylay's face. Her hair trailed over her shoulder in strands, falling over her friend's face.

"Kind of...it seems she got poisoned by something. I woke up with the urge to vomit." Vuylay said, her voice raspy. She opened one eye and looked up at Narlafayn. "How's Terebel?" she asked. "You guys make up or something? I saw you bringing him to your room. Don't mind me, if you were up to something." a sly grin spread on her face and Narlafayn blushed once again.

"We made up, but not in the way you think." Narlafayn said, standing up. "Don't look at me like that; it was his choice, not mine." She added sternly as Vuylay gave her a look of disbelief.

"Go on then, go cuddle with him." Vuylay sighed, waving a hand to dismiss her. Narlafayn grinned and squeezed the fingers of Vuylay's raised hand before wandering back into her room. As soon as her door shut, Vuylay winced and opened up her robe. A huge, purple bruise spread from her side to her stomach across her ribcage. She coughed once and winced, a trail of blood sliding from her mouth. "Who is doing this to me? This isn't Shizuka." Vuylay asked in a strained voice. She winced as the sound and image of a serpentine woman screaming in an otherworldly, demonic voice raced across her inner eye. "Amari." she suddenly said, pushing herself to her feet. Holding her side she stumbled across the house. For some reason, she felt like Amari could explain this sudden injury to her, and what the serpentine woman meant. She fell before she reached the door, and tried to hold herself up with one arm, the other still pressed against her side. She panted heavily for a moment before shutting her eyes and forcing herself to concentrate. A bright glow surrounded her as she silently recited her strongest healing spell. She forced herself to recite it over and over, trying to heal herself. Exhaustion from using magic set in quickly, and she collapsed onto her side, her lips still moving slightly as she tried to continue chanting.

"I always end up finding you on the floor." Amari's voice came. Vuylay looked up weakly to find the Spellhowler's darkened figure standing in the doorway. She hadn't even heard the door open.

"Shut up." Vuylay rasped, reaching a hand out to him. Being of a small frame, Amari was unable to lift and carry her, but managed to help her to her feet.

"Is it Shizuka?" he asked in a low voice, helping her across the room to a chair. Vuylay shook her head as she sat back in the chair she'd vacated. With all of the professionalism of a doctor, Amari opened her robe, ignoring her nakedness underneath and inspected the wound. "That's amazing, it's like something ruptured inside." He said, impressed. Narrowing his eyes he placed his hand over the wound and concentrated hard, applying his own healing spell to it. His was weak and did little, but Vuylay appreciated the effort.

"Stop…" Vuylay began, interrupted as she winced in pain, "…stop being there at the right moment all the time…I'll end up falling for you instead of Ryonai." Amari looked away from her quickly and cleared his throat as he continued to try healing her.

"I'm old enough to be your father." He said logically, trying to cover up his embarrassment. Vuylay grunted a laugh and half-smiled, but did not respond with words.

"Who is the six-armed naga woman, Amari?" Vuylay asked, her words slurring as sleep began to creep up on her intensely. "I think she did this to me, but I don't know why." Vuylay's hand began to droop away from her side. "Why are you here anyway?" She asked in a whispering voice before sleep claimed her.

Amari sighed heavily and stood as soon as he was sure she was asleep. Finding his healing spell useless he'd cast a sleep spell upon her quietly, trying to ease her discomfort the only way he knew how. He'd come to the house to gather up the trio to travel to Heine, as his business in the Dark Elven Village was through, but began to wonder if it was best to just let them sleep after seeing the condition Vuylay was in.

"Naga woman?" he murmured to himself as he wandered towards the tiny kitchen to see if Lavinia had left them any tea. "I've never heard of the serpentine demon women casting spells before." he thought aloud, finding a tin of tea leaves. Just as he grabbed a cup and saucer from a shelf, he recalled the statue of Shilen in the Dark Elven temple and dropped the saucer. Cursing under his breath he bent over to pick up the pieces, annoyed with how he startled himself. "Don't be ridiculous, Vuylay has done nothing to earn the wrath of Shilen, she must've been dreaming." He muttered under his breath. His eyebrows knitted together as the feeling of unease that settled within his chest at recalling the six-armed statue of Shilen stubbornly refused to fade.

In the obsidian room somewhere behind the doorway of the Forbidden Gateway, Shilen knelt in front of her water mirror, her Camera Obscura, which showed her what she wished to see in the outside world. She had stuck one hand in the water and had a dark, childlike grin plastered on her face. The image in the Camera Obscura was, ironically, Vuylay, and the location of her hand was where the bruise had formed on Vuylay's chest.

"What are you doing?" Sayha's voice came angrily. There was a howl of wind and the white-haired, winged god appeared with a look of horror on his face. "Leave her alone!" he snapped, grabbing Shilen by her shoulder. She hissed like serpent at his touch, and jerked out of his touch as he pulled her from the pool.

"Do not touch me!" she snarled, grabbing him around his neck. The beautiful, straight-haired woman that she most often appeared as warped and shifted as she clenched her brother's throat. Her hair became wild, and two more sets of arms emerged from her sides. This was the true form of Shilen, the six-armed naga form that the Dark Elves worshipped in their temple.

"Shilen, stop." Sayha choked, trying to pull her grip from his neck. He would normally respond to her transformation by showing his true form, but she was squeezing his neck at the scar around his throat, something that still gave him pain and rendering him incapable to transform.

"I created that girl, it is my right to play with her as I see fit!" Shilen growled. Muscles began to snap underneath her fingers, and Sayha's eyes bugged out from his head. Shilen's long serpent body thrashed about the floor in agitation, the shackle clamped tightly around the end of her tail clinking with the movement.

"I did not recall your attention to her existence just for you to harm her; she has done nothing against you. She worships you!" Sayha pleaded, his face red. Shilen chuckled darkly, her voice sounding as if it came from the room itself, and not the naga in front of him.

"They all worship me, but that does not mean I acknowledge it." She said in dark amusement. "She will provide me with the fun that her mother did, I do not need her worship."

"It pains me to see you still throwing temper tantrums at this age, Shilen." A new voice came. Shilen lifted her head quickly with a soft hiss, her hair floating around her head. The shadows converged in the center of the obsidian room, and Shilen dropped her brother to recoil in fear. Gran Kain stepped from the darkness as it bubbled up several feet, his countenance strangely calm. Shilen let out a strange, hissing whine at the sight of him and all six of her hands rose as if to protect herself.

"Father..." Sayha choked out, his voice raspy. Without looking, the shadows around Gran Kain slid across the floor to Sayha, dragging him to his knees and preventing him from moving.

"You should not be here now, Sayha. You're interfering with something much larger than yourself." Gran Kain said in a low voice. He approached Shilen, taking short, measured steps as she hid behind raised arms, her tail thrashing in anxiety. "Calm yourself now, Shilen." He commanded in a stern voice, "I merely came to talk." Still whining, Shilen began to return to the dainty, elf-like guise she normally wore, averting her gaze from her father's red eyes. "Now, explain to your brother why you are harming his daughter?"

"As if I have to answer to you!" Shilen snapped in a burst of defiance. "She is not behaving in the way I intended her to, so she must disappear!" She moved away from her father as he drew closer, backing towards the lava-covered walls. "The game is not continuing as I wish it and I cannot see what is obscuring it now! I need to make it continue!" she said roughly, her voice sounding like a protesting angry child. A dark smile spread on Gran Kain's face as he pushed her back as far as she could go, as the lava in the abyss could hurt even her. She winced as he raised a hand and placed it on her cheek in a manner too loving for a fatherly gesture.

"If only you would pay more attention to your surroundings rather than that useless water pool." He said in a soft voice. "The demon Bremmnon is the one blocking your game now; he has sent his sword into the world of mortals. You know that you cannot shift the balance of things once demons are involved, they are as old and powerful as I." Shilen stared at him in disbelief, her eyes large.

"That accursed demon!" she snapped. "I shall send my children after the one who wields it; they shall snap it in two!" She stepped around her father with a look of dark rage. "Anthr..." she began, but was silenced as Gran Kain shifted through the shadows to appear in front of her, and kiss her in an un-fatherly manner on the lips. Still pinned to his knees, Sayha's eyes widened at this sight.

"I have already come up with a plan to counter him, but I need your help." Gran Kain said in a husky voice, drawing away from Shilen's face enough to speak. As defiant as she was to him normally, Shilen was strangely submissive this close to him now. She placed her hands on his chest; her fingers rubbing across the rough fabric weave of the cloak he wore.

"I will…hear your proposition..." Shilen said, breathless, "...but first...it has been a long time." Gran Kain chuckled huskily and stroked her cheek.

"It has been millennia, my dark beloved." He said in a low voice. On the ground, Sayha felt bile rise in his throat as the pair embraced each other again. He coughed once, trying to dispel it, but ended up vomiting as the pair sunk to the ground. Gods normally did not eat, but so disgusted was he by what he saw, the bile had just formed to help him cope with it.

Shilen's words unnerved him, what had she meant that she 'created' Vuylay? He felt the shadows weakening around him as his father grew too distracted to keep control over them. A collection of fireflies converged in the one doorway leading to a long stone hallway nearby him, and took the shape of a familiar woman. She crouched like a cat and stared at him with glittering green eyes before disappearing into dozens of firefly lights and re-appearing near him again. She was obviously a spirit escaped from the Abyss, still retaining the form that she remembered from her last mortal life. She held a finger to her lips to silence him as he suddenly remembered her.

"Synshlee?" he whispered, his eyes large.


	7. Chapter Interlude 2

**Chapter Prequel 2-Ryonai Ladd**

Ryonai was born the third child in a large family of six children. His family was the second largest in all of Talking Island, the first largest being a family of twelve that was so poor that they had to live in a housing section on the second floor of the church. The Ladd family themselves were not rich, and his two older siblings were sent to work the day they turned twelve to help feed the rest of the family. This future was eminent for Ryonai until Sir Cedric happened across the youth mimicking the students of his school one night on the beach. Impressed with how quickly he'd picked up the swordplay footwork, he gave him a quick drill and instantly deduced that the Ladd boy was a genius. Not wanting his potential to go to waste, he quickly spoke with his parents and offered to sponsor the boy in his school.

Ryonai was five when the Kerr family came to live in Talking Island Village. The family consisted of a mother who was very heavy with child, a nervous-looking father, and a mousy-haired girl wearing spectacles that magnified her eyes three times larger than they really were. He laughed aloud at them the day his father introduced him to their new neighbors, earning looks of bewilderment from all. So happy was he to have found something to make him laugh every day, he made sure he visited them as much as possible. It was quite befuddling to the Kerr parents as this strange boy from the house next door would randomly show up in a window or their doorway, and fall to his bottom, laughing as hard as he could.

Until he was ten, Ryonai played with the bespecled Kerr girl, whose name was Sharmin, and her then baby sister Komugi. Boys began to become aware of girls by ten, and how they were different from themselves, and began to tease Ryonai for always being seen with the two Kerr girls. He was often teased for having a crush on Sharmin; something which, one day, he discovered was true. Embarrassed that his classmates were right, Ryonai began to tease Sharmin horribly, to save face and prove that they were wrong. He secretly felt bad for turning against the two girls, and the first day he made Sharmin cry, he raced home to his mother and wept into her lap in grief.

The nickname "Fish-Eyes" and "Fish-Face" emerged from Ryonai's teasing, making fun of how Sharmin's eyes were enlarged by the glasses lens. Angry that Sharmin would cry from his teasing, Komugi would run to her rescue. Even though he taunted Komugi as well, claiming he wasn't scared of her as she ran after him with her little fists raised, in actuality he was quite afraid of her. She was quite the spitfire, even at her young age, and once even tore a chunk out of his arm with her teeth as she latched onto him like an angry cat for making Sharmin cry.

He began Cedric's school at thirteen, and was automatically placed in the older student's class within the first few months due to his excellence with the sword and in his book studies. While in this class he discovered he was the outcast, all of his classmates were boys from rich or noble families from the mainland or larger houses in the Village. They were cruel towards Ryonai after discovering he was from a large, poor family, and snubbed him during the socializing hours. He had never known before, but studying under Sir Cedric himself was a great honor, usually reserved only for those of the noble and rich. Ryonai was frequently paired with a fifteen year old youth that Cedric had also sponsored, a boy by the name of Leon DiValmont.

Leon was Ryonai's only rival at the top of the class in terms of smarts. While Ryonai would boast loudly to his classmates, to rub their snob noses in the fact that he had done better, Leon would quietly sit and read, or gaze out the window, never once telling of his scores. This annoyed Ryonai, but somehow formed a half-friendship with the quiet boy anyway.

Ryonai was arguably the best looking boy in his peer group on Talking Island with his rich chestnut brown hair that trailed over the right side of his face in a similar fashion to a Dark Elf, and his large, square shaped hazel eyes and subtly square jaw and chin. Girls from the age of ten to even eighteen would show him attention, trying to get him to smile in their direction. Ryonai still harbored feelings for Sharmin, who, in his opinion, grew prettier after an unfortunate accident with a misfired ice spell and a lump of coal. He could not stop himself from teasing her even then, even though his teasing insult had turned into more of a disguised endearment. Sadly, the day he realized Sharmin had a fierce crush on Leon was the day he realized he'd shot down his chances at ever being anything more than the bully who caused her emotional grief.

Sharmin began to follow his class when they were having field studies, something which alarmed Ryonai. She was naïve, never once realizing how dangerous it was out in the forests without some sort of weapon to protect her. Keltir, Wolves Goblins and even common Orc Grunts were harmless and would never seek her out to harm her, but she foolishly followed them into the fields that Werewolves and giant spiders were known to hunt. Ryonai would stay nearby her as she watched Leon on risk of being scolded by Cedric, to make sure no harm came to her.

One day, not long after realizing Sharmin's feelings for Leon, Ryonai took a break from his strength training to stand by her as she sat beneath a tree. While they were speaking, a Werewolf snuck up on them, and began to breathe down Sharmin's neck. Thinking it was Ryonai teasing her again, Sharmin whacked the beast with a clod of earth, igniting the creatures' short temper. Knowing that the creature would chase her if she ran, Ryonai distracted the beast by hitting it, giving Sharmin a chance to escape.

The Werewolf Hunter was much stronger than Ryonai was then, and although the youth fought valiantly, he was no match for the beasts' claws. The creature grabbed Ryonai around his jaw and slammed him against the tree Sharmin had been resting beneath. Defiant despite the pain in his head and face, Ryonai glared at the creature and shoved his sword into its eye. The blade sliced diagonally across it's snout before the tip pierced the organ, and the creature howled and covered its face with its clawed paw-hands. Ryonai fell hard onto the ground, landing on a tree root on his tailbone. He winced and rolled onto his side as he tried to push himself to his feet quickly. The Werewolf recovered quicker than he despite being more severely injured, and with a swipe of his claws, opened up Ryonai's abdomen. Shocked at the deep wounds, he fell to his knees, and lifted a hand to the wound. The boy not being the Werewolf's initial target, it turned away from him and dashed off into the woods after Sharmin.

His eyes widened in numbed horror as he felt something that shouldn't squeeze out of the wounds and lay exposed upon the grass. He could hear his classmates shout as the Werewolf pounced them on his way into the woods after Sharmin. Taking short, gasping breaths, Ryonai shivered violently, afraid of what was to come.

_I don't want to die!_ He shouted in his head, wishing it would come out of his mouth and alert someone to his condition. One student fled to the Village as the Were dashed into the woods, and within moments, he could hear shouts as Villagers raced to the field.

"Hang in there son, don't fade on us." He heard Cedrics voice say. There was a loud groan from a classmate and then the sound of retching. "Get out of my class if you're going to do that! You'll see much worse once you graduate!" Cedric snapped at the retcher. "Bishop Mallus! Over here, hurry!" Ryonai was pushed onto his back, and he realized in fear that he could no longer focus on anything around him. Everything was one large blur that was growing increasingly white. "Shilen won't have you yet boy; you've got a great future ahead of you. Now hold still, this is going to feel disturbing and hurt a slight more than your initial wounds." A choked noise came from Ryonai's throat as he felt Cedric carefully lift up whatever had come out of his wounds and begin to slowly push them back into their proper place. "Bishop Mallus, heal what I've already re-inserted, and for the love of god put that bite wood in his mouth or he's going to break his teeth with as hard as he's clenching his jaw!" Cedric snapped. A piece of lumber was forced into Ryonai's mouth, and he automatically bit down as hard as he could.

"Leon's back with the bitch that made the Were berserk." A student's voice came. Ryonai wanted to speak on Sharmin's behalf, and tell them that she didn't know, but his voice would still not come out as anything more than a groan. _What happened to me?_ He thought, not understanding reality anymore.

"Cedric!" Bishop Mallus suddenly said in alarm, and Ryonai screamed around the bite wood as he felt his skin tearing open again, the Bishop not healing his wounds fast enough to keep everything in place. A new, grief stricken voice sounded over the field, and Ryonai vaguely recognized it to be that of his mothers.

"Put him to sleep, NOW!" Cedric shouted. There was a murmur of a spell and suddenly everything Ryonai was somehow staying conscious through faded to black.

He slowly regained consciousness an unknown amount of time later, the darkened ceiling of his house swimming into view. He blinked heavy eyelids and turned his head to gaze towards the door, recognizing himself to be in the room he usually shared with his two older siblings. One had already left for the mainland, and he could hear the other's even breathing as they slept in the bed across from him.

"Six million adena? We don't have that kind of money!" he could hear his father say in exasperation. "This isn't fair, you ask us to pay you for saving his life?"

"Shh, dear…" his mother said, trying to urge him to keep his voice down.

"This is the way the world works Mr. Ladd, I'm sorry." Bishop Mallus said in a snooty voice. "I had to spend that much to buy mental strength recovery potions to do my duties in the church after healing your son. I was quite exhausted." The Bishop's voice began to fade as he moved across the house, most likely towards the door, and Ryonai strained his ears to hear it.

"Grayson, we'll pay for Ryonai's medical expenses." The voice that Ryonai plainly recognized as Sharmin and Komugi's father came next. He sounded sullen and tired, much different from the happy-go-lucky tone he always had before.

"I don't need your pity money, Zephan! I don't want anything to do with your family after your born in disgrace adopted whelp nearly got a child of my flesh and blood killed!" his father shouted. Ryonai raised his head quickly, then winced, still tender from his wounds. Adopted?

"Daddy's been arguing with Mr. Kerr for hours." His older sister whispered from her bed. "He's just shouting out all of their secrets for everyone to hear because he's so mad about what happened to you."

"What would they have rather I had done, let the Werewolf kill her?" Ryonai whispered back angrily. "I knew I had at least a fighting chance, she would've died in an instant!" In the darkness he could make out movement as his sister shrugged.

"It's just one of those things that you can't win at, I guess. If Sharmin had died, it would probably be daddy over at their house begging for forgiveness instead of Mr. Kerr over here trying to help us." She said logically. Ryonai clenched his jaw. Penelope was the strange type that would always state the obvious in blunt words that left one feeling stung.

"Why is he insulting Sharmin like that, anyway?" Ryonai asked, changing the subject for fear that he'd snap at his sister.

"Well, insulting words aside, she is adopted." Penelope said, sitting up. "You didn't know that? Mommy and Daddy told Larkin and I the first day Mr. and Mrs. Kerr came over." Her eyes sparkled in the dark. Another thing that annoyed him about Penelope was that she was a horrible gossip. "You know how it's all taboo and stuff for a Priest and Priestess to have sex? Well Sharmin's the daughter of a pair that broke their vows. She was sent away with the Kerr's the night she was born. Apparently her birth father came looking for her recently but Mr. Kerr sent him away after a fight!" she giggled in glee at the drama of the situation.

"Why would he fight him, that's not right." Ryonai said, frowning. It was highly unlike Mr. Kerr to raise his hand to spank his daughters when they were naughty, let alone fight a man just trying to find his daughter.

"Ew, you really didn't hear then. Her father is a Necromancer now, isn't that disgusting?" she shuddered. "There's no way anyone would let their kid, adopted or no, go with someone like that." She lay back down with that, and rolled over to return to sleep.

Ryonai was unable to sleep for a long time after that, his mind in turmoil over all that he'd heard. He couldn't help but feel a great pity for Sharmin, but he was unsure of how to voice it.

He returned to school within a few days, advised to take it easy until the tenderness in his stomach went away. He was kept a close eye on at school, and discovered the first day that he attempted to speak to Sharmin that there was some sort of unspoken law that no one could associate with her after the Werewolf attack. Even Cedric himself was against anyone speaking to her.

Finding that no one seemed against speaking to Komugi, Ryonai began to speak with her on the condition of her sister and family. Komugi had recently developed a crush on Ryonai; his senses were keen enough to pick that up from the start, so it made it easy for him to speak with her. He found that, although still fond of Sharmin, he was growing to like the girl he'd watched grow up from baby to the ten year old girl she was now. Along with her attentions came a girl named Koyori, whom seemed insistent to have everything that Komugi had, and Ryonai found he rather enjoyed being fought over by two girls. He'd reward Koyori's efforts with an occasional flirt, just to keep her coming back for more and giving him more entertainment when she argued with Komugi.

Sharmin surprised Ryonai one early morning, as she appeared on the beach as Cedric was leading them to an early morning field training session. In one hand she held a dagger, and on her face she wore a look of determination he'd never seen before. She demanded that Cedric allow her into his school so she could prove herself not useless and to end the scorn against her family. Ryonai was surprised that Sharmin was keen enough to pick up that the cause of the scorn against her family was not the townsfolk themselves, but the townsfolk with children in the sword school trying to gain favor with Cedric by supporting his anger.

Amused that a proven weak girl in a skirt would ask to be in his school, Cedric pitted her up in a spar against Leon, knowing very well that the girl had a crush on him. Finding the whole display pitiful and embarrassing, Ryonai tried to put an end to it, but was silenced by Cedric. Sharmin surprised them all by actually cutting Leon, something that Ryonai himself even had a hard time doing. Somehow this burst of strength and determination impressed Cedric, and after the spar was over (Leon won of course), changed his entire opinion of Sharmin and decided to sponsor her into his school as well.

Around the time Sharmin began her classes at the school, illness struck Ryonai's family after his older brother returned home from Gludin. He'd been working with a mercenary group on the outskirts of the Abandoned Camp, and had brought home the strange virus that the Ol Mahum were known to carry. The entire family grew ill, and Ryonai's two younger siblings fell victim to it. His mother was never completely well afterwards, grief not allowing her body to heal completely. Within a year she gave birth to a set of triplets, replacing the missing number in his house and adding a new one. The birth weakened her further, however, and Ryonai would have to make frequent trips home to help care for his new baby siblings, a set of three girls. Komugi would accompany him frequently, always enjoying taking care of the babies with him.

A few months after the death of his youngest siblings, a boy named Gatz whom was introduced to him as the son of the governor of Talking Island came to attend Cedric's school from the mainland. He was an awkward boy that Ryonai couldn't help but be drawn to. He reminded him of a male version of Sharmin in a way, and some subconscious part of Ryonai sought to make up for all of the pain he'd caused Sharmin by befriending this boy. Gatz seemed to have some dark secret in his past that was alluded to a few times in their conversations, but never truly spoken of, and clung to Ryonai's offer at friendship from the start.

One end-of-semester trip in Ryonai's final year at Cedric's school, Ryonai was paired with Leon once again and sent out to the Elven Ruins to kill Salamanders and Undines that were said to live in one of the back rooms off of the ancient library there. They spoke little on the day-long journey out to the ruins, most of the talking done by Ryonai himself. Leon seemed to have no interests that Ryonai could relate to, leaving them with nothing to ignite conversation. Trying to get the boy to show some other emotion other than the stoic face he always wore, Ryonai bluntly said "Sharmin likes you, you know."

Leon stopped walking and looked at Ryonai in shock. In turn, Ryonai looked back at Leon in a matching expression, surprised that he actually got him to show some sort of emotion for once.

"I had wondered that, yeah." Leon said, walking again. Now it was Ryonai's turn for surprise to melt into shock.

"Wait, you knew?" he exclaimed, picking up the pace to catch up to him. Leon shrugged lightly and glanced into the trees above his head.

"She's not very discreet…" Leon said evasively, as if suddenly regretting his previous answer. Ryonai opened his mouth for a moment and then shut it again, and then frowned with his eyebrows raised, realizing Leon was right.

"Well then…why don't you respond to her?" Ryonai pressed.

"She's not for me." Leon said quickly, not looking at him.

"Wait, what?" Ryonai responded, lifting an eyebrow. "How can you know that without actually, you know, talking with her?" He frowned in mild disgust at how quickly Leon had seemingly made his decision. "I even have to go out on a few dates with a girl before I know if she's not for me; it's a little odd for you to decide so quickly."

"My heart is married to the church." Leon said in an almost angry tone. "My intention in this life is to be a Paladin and serve under Einhasad's will."

"Dude, you're gay." Ryonai muttered, finding Leon's devotion to a goddess they couldn't even see, disturbing. Ryonai himself never thought much of devoting his life to any deity. He'd been raised to worship Einhasad like the rest of them, but never felt strong enough to his religion to work under her holy name.

"I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand me." Leon mumbled, walking ahead of him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ryonai snapped, stopping and glaring at Leon's blonde head as it grew smaller with distance. "Hey, DeSmellmont, I'm talking to you!"

"And that's exactly why I won't tell you." Leon's voice wafted back to him. Growling under his breath, Ryonai followed after him, eager to get the task done and back to the village. Talking to the real Leon, and not the wall he put up, was proving to be taxing on his nerves and patience. "I'm not saying I'm not fond of her…" Leon added after a stretch of silence, "…she is quite likeable. But she needs someone who will help her grow into herself, not someone to protect her all the time, as I have a habit of doing to those weaker than me. I need to grow too, not be focused on protecting a girl all the time. I don't want to hurt her though…so I'd appreciate it if you didn't speak of this to anyone." Ryonai glanced at him but said nothing. Some part of him could agree with this, Sharmin had a habit of making those she touched fond of her. He decided that he could still respect Leon as a human after all.

It was late night by the time they reached he entrance to the Elven Ruins. Elevated fire torches that were constantly kept alive by doses of fuel from a woman who lived alone in a farmhouse near the Ruins flickered around the entrance, lighting their way inside. They stepped around fallen pillars almost blocking the stairway within from entry, and slowly made their way deeper inside.

The Ruins smelled of stale water and Ratman musk. Somewhere in one of the rooms nearby they could hear the raspy breathing of one of the skeletons of the slaughtered said to haunt the ruins. They stepped carefully down the hallway covered in slimy moss, bloodstains and skeletons of those who died lining the hallway.

"This place gives me the creeps." Ryonai said in a low voice. It echoed on the walls despite his best attempt at keeping it quiet, making it seem like he spoke much louder than he really did. Leon raised a hand to his lips and shooshed him gently, focusing on a cylindrical room ahead of them. As they passed through it as quiet as they could to not wake two Orcs sleeping back to back on the floor, they faintly heard a male voice talking from somewhere down the adjacent hall to the cylinder room.

"Is someone down here?" Leon asked aloud, frowning.

"Either that or a ghost." Ryonai responded, his mouth a thin line.

"No, no, no. You wouldn't try to raid a fortress with one party, you'd rally the whole lot of you and rampage the thing!" the voice said, growing clearer as Ryonai and Leon walked down the hallway towards the library. A growling voice that was hard to distinguish speaking a clear language responded to the man's words, and he laughed. "Yes, I suppose it would take your tribe, the Orcs and skeletons to take down the village, but not while there are so many swordies around, that's just silly!" the man exclaimed. His voice slurred slightly, making it sound as if he were intoxicated.

As the pair entered the library they found a man with slicked back brown hair sitting on the floor of the ruins, books of multiple shapes, sizes and subjects littering the floor around him. Next to him sat a large tankard of beer, and sitting across from him was a Werewolf. Ryonai drew a sword instinctively upon seeing it, and the Werewolf jumped to his feet with a snarl.

"Woah woah. Woah now." The man on the floor said, stumbling to his feet. He wobbled this way and that, his drunkenness apparent now. He snorted and grinned as he swayed, amused by his inability to stand up straight. "No fighting here now, I have a mean drunken style of fighting, and I can't distinguish friend from foe." The Werewolf backed away from Ryonai in an instant with a whine like a scolded pet, and sat back down across from the man. "Gubboy." He slurred, patting it heavily on top of its wiry-furred head. "I enjoy having a pet, it keeps me entertained." He said to Leon and Ryonai, as if explaining the Werewolf to them. He jerked backwards slightly, his eyebrows rose, as if seeing them there for the first time. "Oh! Company! Have a seat, would you like some beer?" he offered. "On second thought no, this is my beer, you can't have any." He said in a childish tone, hugging the tankard to his chest. Ryonai and Leon glanced at each other warily, and inched into the room.

"Sorry to disturb your party mister uh…." Ryonai began, stepping over one of the many books on the ground.

"Vlad, and I'd like to not think of myself as a Mister." The man said. He squinted as his eyes tried to focus on Leon. "Hey, I know you." He said, pointing weakly. "You're that one kid…the one with the holier-than-thou attitude…"

"I don't believe I've met you before." Leon said without emotion as Ryonai snorted in laughter.

"Yeah you did, on that path with the spider and Werewolf, with that little squealing girl. She makes a fun noise, that one." He giggled. He turned to the Werewolf at his feet and held a hand out to Ryonai. "Oh that's right, I remember now. Fifi, apologize to the boy." Vlad commanded to the Werewolf. The Werewolf whined again, as if upset over Vlad's request. "Now now, don't be like that. You know you feel bad over what happened." He scolded. Focusing on the Werewolf fully for the first time, Ryonai yelped and tripped backwards over the book he'd just stepped over, falling onto his rear. The Werewolf was covered in stitches, as if it had been sewn precariously back together by an inexperienced person. The eye that Ryonai had wounded on the Werewolf that had attacked him was wrinkled and sunken shut, as if it had decayed, and its snout had a large gaping chunk sliced out of it.

"You're a necromancer!" Leon exclaimed, drawing his sword. Vlad raised his eyebrows in surprise before letting out a hearty laugh.

"Not nearly!" he exclaimed. "But close. I call myself a scholar, but I couldn't stand flinging that magic stuff about. I like poking things and making them gush, see…" he said. As if demonstrating, he drew one of the dual swords sheathed on his back and stabbed the resurrected Werewolf through the chest. It howled and acrid smelling blood poured out of its chest. "Fifi here is the product of months of Giant Technology study, amazing specimen, isn't he? Pity he's still decaying though…can't seem to stop that." Vlad shook his head sadly as if this was the saddest thing on earth. "Someone told me that there were some books detailing how the Giants resurrected the dead without the hassle of decay somewhere in these Ruins, but I can't seem to find them." Vlad sniffled loudly, the beer causing emotional hyperactivity. "I've been looking for so long too…I can't stand being in here another second…"

"I thought all important books were taken to Einhovant's." Ryonai said innocently, pushing himself to his feet. He knew he should be creeped out by this man, but instead he was finding him interesting. Nobody else had the balls to study Giants technology and openly admit to it.

"Ryonai!" Leon hissed angrily, waving his hand as if Ryonai shouldn't have spoken.

"Einhovant's? That magic school?" Vlad stated curiously. "Interesting…very interesting. I'll have to take a look…"

"And then I'll have to report you." Leon said curtly. Vlad lifted his head swiftly to look at Leon in surprise. "Those books are forbidden for a reason, I won't be party to allowing you to get at them."

"Over-achieve much?" Vlad stated flatly, raising his eyebrows in an unamused manner. "Honestly, do you get aroused by kissing so much government ass? If you do, please explain that to me, as I've always been curious to the thought patterns of a kiss-ass…"

"Ryonai, let's go." Leon said, turning away from Vlad.

"But the Salamanders…" Ryonai protested. In actuality, he wanted to talk with this strange Gladiator more, find out all of the weird things he knew.

"We'll tell Cedric that we can't finish it because there's a dangerous individual living in the Ruins now. Let's go." With that he produced a scroll from his pack and opened it, a light flaring to life and engulfing both boys. Ryonai's protest was lost as they disappeared from the ruins and re-appeared back in the center of Talking Island Village.

A few days later Ryonai was roused from sleep to discover that someone had attacked and killed the headmaster from Einhovant's. Sharmin had been the unfortunate person to discover him, and was attacked in the process. Leon was there to save her from death, and drove the man off before he could do much more harm. Guilt gnawed at Ryonai and he pushed the previous meeting he'd had with the strange man to the back of his head, locking it away to be forgotten lest he spend the rest of his life in guilt over not warning someone of the attack and saving Sharmin from physical harm.

Several months later Cedric counseled him and several other high-ranking students in the class to find out what their course of life would be. He advised both Leon and Ryonai to be Knights, something which Leon eagerly jumped at but took Ryonai a bit of coaxing to be enthusiastic about. Being a knight, hand-picked by Cedric, meant you were a candidate for a high ranking position in the Army of Aden. Leon was elated at this honor, but Ryonai couldn't help but think there was something more he wanted from life. He wanted to be a leader, not a follower, and command his own army under his own name, not be commanded under a flag of someone he could possibly hate. He wasn't sure what this meant to him yet, but he sure as heck wasn't going to submit to a life of military servitude.

The final night of his school life on the island was upon him. He was to accompany the rest of his class and a few of the other classes that excelled past the norm to the Mainland the next day, to take on his tasks to become a Knight. Knowing that he wouldn't get another chance otherwise, Ryonai spent the afternoon flirting and playing with Komugi, enjoying his time with the pretty rosy-haired girl. Koyori watched them jealously from afar, and Ryonai made sure he 'accidentally' grabbed her in various locations more than once for her to see. She walked him back to the Training Hall as dusk fell, and she shyly kissed his cheek before saying goodbye. Taking that as an invitation, Ryonai grinned mischievously and pulled the young girl to the side of the hall with him and gave her the first kiss most girls dream of.

Sharmin, tailed by Gatz, happened upon them minutes later, Sharmin flying into a rage at seeing her ten year old sister with his fourteen year old self. Ryonai winced as Komugi openly revealed Sharmin's crush on Leon, something which Gatz, whom had recently declared he liked Sharmin, never knew about. The night ended rather uneasily after that, Sharmin fleeing to her room to cry, Komugi racing towards her house to probably do the same, and Gatz stalking away from him to sulk.

Leon returned to the Training Hall immediately after the spat, accompanied by a silver-haired Light Elf that Ryonai couldn't help but appreciate. She was rather shapely for a Light Elf, which was surprising as most Elves were thin, willowy things. She scolded him that night as he ate dinner with her and Leon for kissing a girl four years younger than him, and then nearly took his hand off when he gave her an acidic retort in exchange. All previous attraction he had for the woman faded quickly, and Ryonai quickly deemed the Light Elf as terrifying.

The next year sped by quickly. Ryonai left Talking Island the day after the relationship drama and quickly set about his tasks upon setting foot in Gludin. He became a Knight quicker than the other people in the class, partially due to the help that Koyori had given him with her healing spells as she insisted on tagging along behind him, but mostly because of his genius.

Koyori followed after him like a lost puppy, something which ended a few days after his Knighting ceremony. She wanted him to take care of her like they were married, and do nothing in return to earn her keep. She was slow in becoming a Cleric, still struggling with the few easy tasks that she'd been given simply because it required long travel across the continent. He left her in Gludio after a brief spat, and began traveling south on his own.

Gatz had told him once that he'd originated from the Wasteland, so Ryonai aimed his direction of travel towards it. Gatz had been on the boat when they returned to the mainland, saying he needed to return to the Wasteland to visit an ill family member. Now free of Koyori, Ryonai was eager to find a new traveling companion, wishing for someone who wasn't trying to impress him all of the time.

Halfway to the Wasteland he happened across a small farming community nestled in the valley of two mountains. The people in the community seemed to make a living weaving and catching fish, and were quite open and friendly to travelers. He stayed here for a while, helping the poor people there by exterminating monsters that interfered with their trade.

While helping the men pull in a boat heavy with fish, Ryonai spied an Orc speaking with the head weaver woman of the community. The Orc was a woman, and smaller in frame than the other Orcs he'd seen in Gludio and Gludin. Her dark brown hair was tightly braided and pulled back into a ponytail high on her head, and an opaque gray veil covered her face from the bridge of her nose down past her chin. Ryonai was not one to be attracted to Orcs, as, for the most part, he found them physically unappealing, but there was something about this one that intrigued him. Their eyes met briefly as she turned away to retreat back into the collection of houses, but Ryonai did not see her again to speak to her after that.

During a festival held at the end of summer, celebrating a good fishing season Ryonai saw the Orcish woman again. He learned from one of the men he worked with frequently that she had come to the village nearly two years before him, and lived in a house some distance away. She seemed to enjoy seclusion, and only came to bring fabric to the weaver that she'd made for them to sell to traders. After being goaded into trying some of the strong mead made primarily from fish oil, Ryonai suddenly felt brave enough to approach the quiet Orc and speak with her.

He discovered her name was Sprissa, and she was hiding in the village for fear that she'd be put to death for a crime she did not do. She had merely been in the wrong place at the wrong time when the crime was discovered, and had fled in the night with the help of an old friend of hers and a Light Elf named Narlafayn. Ryonai curiously turned the name over in his head and suddenly recalled the Narlafayn that had been with Leon on Talking Island. It was strange how small the world was.

The pair talked until late in the night, taking a stroll along the beach to watch the sun rise. Now away from the eyes of others, Sprissa removed the veil from her face. Ryonai found, much to his surprise that she was very beautiful without it on, looking more like a Dark Elf than an Orc. It was right now that Ryonai realized, for the first time in sixteen years, he was in love.

The first few weeks upon this realization, Ryonai spent it in anguished thought. An Orc? Even if she was gorgeous without the veil on, she was still an Orc! His type was the tiny, pink-haired ones after all! This pensive thought soon gave way to a desire to speak with her, and confess his feelings, relenting to the fact that he felt what he felt, and there was no stopping it.

Sprissa listened with patience to Ryonai's frustration at being previously forced into servitude for the nation, and seemed to understand that feeling. She encouraged him to go out into the world and make himself into a leader, and not think about what future everyone thought had already been decided for him. She smiled and said that he'd already broken the future once by becoming a Knight instead of living a life of work like his siblings, there was no reason for him to not continue to do so. So inspired was he by her speech, Ryonai decided right then and there to create a clan, and set about the tasks to do so.

Late in the spring of the first year since his departure, a Dark Elf assassin came to the community for a bit. He didn't speak much to Ryonai, and spent most of his time wooing women. Ryonai more than once darted in between the Dark Elf, whose name was Deathswalker, as he tried to flirt with Sprissa. Deathswalker did not remain long, and just as summer began, he was gone.

The two were asked together by the leader of the community to venture over to a retired Paladin's house by the name of Aron Tanford to ask him for medicinal supplies. On the way the two were ambushed by a small pack of Ol Mahum. In reaction to the heat of the battle and relief at surviving, they fell into each other's arms and became what Ryonai thought was an awkward couple.

They arrived at Sir Aron's home within a few days after the attack, and saw with shock that they were not the only Orc and Human pair out there. Sir Aron and his girlfriend were very kind and accommodating, and insisted that they remain with them for a few days. During that time, after speaking frequently with Sir Aron, Ryonai decided he'd return after the task they were given was done, and become a Paladin under the older man's tutoring.

During dinner the night before they would return to the village, Sprissa was stricken with a strange, glazed over look, and hastily excused herself from the table. Concerned that she had suddenly become sick, Ryonai attempted to follow, but was stopped by Sir Aron's girlfriend, Emixis. She explained in a few words that those who followed the teachings of Paagrio like she did, were often stricken with visions from the Great Flame. She returned several hours later, looking downhearted and saddened by what she'd seen.

Ryonai found her later, standing on the beach and watching the sky as the sun set into the horizon. She seemed distant, and shied away from his touch when he attempted to comfort her. She explained to him in gentle, wise words that their relationship had to end, that she was not the one meant for him, and he not for her. What they had must become a warm memory, something they recalled with equal fondness. She did not explain why this was, but said their destinies collided as leaders, something that would surely destroy them if they remained together. There was something she had to do, someone she had to find, and Ryonai had to seek out his own destiny while she did it.

Saddened to nearly tears, Ryonai said nothing to her. With a sad smile she promised that, after parting upon their return to the small community, they would surely see each other again in time. She said his next love would be swift in coming, and to not mourn what they had lost.

He wanted to hate her for breaking his heart like she had, but for some reason he found he was unable to. Sprissa harbored wiseness beyond anything he'd ever experienced before, and always knew the correct words to say. Even when breaking someone's heart, she managed to repair it at the same time.

Sprissa's prediction came true, however, and within a few days of becoming a Paladin, he met a pink-haired elf bathing naked in the surf of the beach. A beauty whom he fell in love with at first sight; an Elven Oracle by the name of Shizuka.

He and Shizuka's relationship started quickly, as the Elf seemed to be hungry for some kind of companionship. Any wounds left from Sprissa quickly evaporated, and he eagerly let the relationship deepen as quickly as possible. Shizuka was extremely caring and concerned for Ryonai's well-being, and did nothing to try and overly impress him. She encouraged him with her smiles, and held him when he was feeling discouraged, something he found greatly comforting.

Shizuka accompanied him as he returned to Gludin finally in search of a merchant to sell him new armor. He'd long since outgrown his Brigandine, his muscles and body developing far past what the armor was intended to fit. No more was he a spindly little boy; he was now a well-defined, handsome lad of seventeen. She was the first member of his newly formed clan; Haibane. Shizuka enthusiastically cheered for their next destination, and followed without question. She was a bit on the ditzy side, something which did grate on Ryonai's nerves once in awhile, but he found it so adorable that he instantly forgot any annoyance soon after.

Upon his first arrival in town, Ryonai stumbled across Narlafayn again, this time she was accompanied by a Dark Elf that Shizuka seemed to be familiar with. The Dark Elf unnerved him, and left him feeling awkward, a feeling that he greatly disliked. Not wanting to think on what it might be that was disturbing him, he chalked it up to her breasts being so big that they baffled him, and left it at that.

Vuylay seemed upset by Ryonai's rejection of her, something which he picked up curiously. He couldn't understand why a complete stranger would be upset over him not caring to speak to her, yet he couldn't help but feel guilty about it either. Vuylay disappeared soon after they were done eating a dinner that Shizuka forced him to treat everyone to, leaving Ryonai to speak with Narlafayn.

That night he and Shizuka's intimate moment was interrupted as a hesitant knock on the door jolted them from each other's embrace. Annoyed, Ryonai attempted to ignore it, but Shizuka suddenly burst out with a grin too mischievous to be ignored, and happily opened the door without bothering to put any clothes on. On the other side stood Vuylay, blushing and fidgeting in a shy, awkward manner that Ryonai found cute despite himself.

It was in the next hours until dawn that Ryonai discovered Shizuka and Vuylay shared some sort of unexplained bond. This led to an awkward kind of encounter, one that Shizuka disturbingly approved of with more enthusiasm than a normal girlfriend shouldn't have. Ryonai didn't know what surprised him more: the fact that Vuylay was a Dark Elven virgin, or that her breasts were only as big as they appeared because of a glamour magic. Vuylay slipped away sometime after the sun had come up, and Ryonai couldn't help but feel emptier without her there. This was forgotten as soon as he was fully awake however, and in full realization of everything that had happened. Still, he found himself waiting for her to return to their room the few nights he stayed in Gludin, and eventually she became the second member of Haibane.

He and Shizuka traveled the land after that, mostly doing tasks for people in villages to build up the reputation of Haibane. During that time he happened across Vlad again with a Dark Elf he introduced as his brother Amari. Eager to get the clan to grow he forced them both to join, something which they did hesitantly.

Ryonai traveled far and wide within the next year, finally coming to a temporary stop in Heine. The beauty of the city dazzled his eyes, and filled him with an awe he could never put to words, no matter how hard he tried. He murmured to Shizuka that he wanted to lord over this city, he wanted to rule its gentle serenity and make sure it stayed as peaceful as it was at that moment. In a voice strangely dark for her Shizuka promised him he would have it one day, he just needed a bigger army. On his way out from Heine he met up with three different elves. First was a Dark Elf by the name of Terebel who could not be coerced into joining the clan, but promised to assist him when he needed help, and two Elven sisters by the names of Lavinia and Mune, which joined Haibane with enthusiasm. Lavinia spoke of a third sister, another Elven Oracle by he name of Cesa, and Ryonai gave Lavinia another crest to give to her.

Early summer of the third year since his departure from Talking Island, while traveling back through Gludin on business (and to secretly see Vuylay again), Ryonai learned that in the previous, the monsters of Talking Island had banded together to raid the village. Many people had been killed before a boatload of fighters finally arrived to help stop it, including Ryonai's father, Grayson. Shocked and grief-stricken, Ryonai separated briefly from Shizuka and raced back to the Village as quickly as he could. After comforting his grieving family, Ryonai finally managed to pull the story of his father's death from them.

Sharmin's father Zephan had been injured at the harbor a few days before, and was laid up at home when the attack hit. Knowing that the pair had no one to protect them as both of their daughters were out studying at that time of day, Grayson left the safety of the cellar he packed his family into and raced next door. All old quarrels were forgotten in that moment, as Grayson tried to save the friends he'd long since neglected over a misunderstanding. A pack of Werewolves had converged upon the home however, and there were too many for him to fight off. Grayson died with Sharmin and Komugi's parents. Now there was no one to take care of his ailing mother and still young siblings other than him and his two older siblings. His determination to one day to be lord of Innadril Castle was cemented then, and for weeks the only thing on his mind was how to expand his clan's membership and get his family out of a life of abject poverty.

He returned to the mainland just as winter ended, and caught up on the social standing of other clans, trying to find strong, dependable ones to form alliances with. He contacted Vlad and made plans to meet him in Gludio to discuss possible candidates to form alliances with. Vlad seemed eager to go to war, something which made Ryonai pleased and uneasy at the same time. He reunited with Shizuka not long after arriving on the mainland, and bumped into Narlafayn soon after. All three of them traveled to Gludio together, and Ryonai was reunited with Sharmin not long after arriving.

After a trip to the Wasteland with Vlad (and loosing Sharmin along the way), Ryonai decided it was time to call all of his clan together and perform the ritual that would prove their loyalty to one another and gain them recognition in the Ivory Tower. It was a frightening ritual, three of the clan mates were required to die only to be resurrected again, and then Ryonai had to ingest a deadly poison while those who had died raced off to find the herbs that would make up the antidote. The ones whom had proven their loyalty to him by dying were Vlad, Amari and Mune, respectively.

It is obvious that the ritual was a success, and Haibane became of higher standing in the great listing of clans in the Ivory Tower's records, otherwise Ryonai's story would end here. He and the group that had gathered together journeyed to the Plains of the Lizardmen after that, to camp out in the abandoned village there while Cesa journeyed to the Sea of Spores to make a pilgrimage. What happened after that, we remember, as this story has been told to us before.

After Sharmin was taken, Ryonai was indeed grieved by the events. He refused to focus on it, and continued searching for ways to strengthen his clan. More members joined, including his childhood crush Komugi, a Dark Elf named Valimos, and a Swordsinger whom had just married Cesa by the name of Celleriant. Halfway through the first year after Sharmin's disappearance, Terebel finally relented and joined. Later on after that, he was reunited with Sprissa through a strange series of events in the Frozen Labyrinth. She and her new companion Broud were quickly added to the growing ranks.

Ryonai began to grow impatient, as his goal was within reach. By the time we join him now, two years after Sharmin's disappearance, Haibane has grown considerably, and Ryonai has made contact with a clan which will ally with him to siege Innadril Castle. Currently we join him in Giran, where he is having an important meeting.


	8. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**  
><em>In which an alliance is formed, and someone arrives.<em>

"We'll need your forces to come in here, and here." Ryonai said seriously, pointing to a map of Innadril Castle. His armor clinked lightly with his movement as he shifted on his feet in anticipation. He was finally going to command his own force!

"Mustafa and I can help wall off this side, but I'm not sure we'll have enough manpower for over here." Inderhoven, the leader of the clan that Ryonai was allying with, said thoughtfully. Ryonai grimaced openly. The space that needed manpower was a definite weakness that he wasn't sure he could cover up. If only he had something large to plug up the 'hole' so to speak…

"You don't happen to have any large friends or group of friends do you?" Ryonai asked, not looking at the Dark Avenger next to him. Inderhoven glanced up from the parchment to blink at Ryonai without expression.

"Maybe we could get one of our friends in, but are you sure you want to command that many people?" Inderhoven asked seriously. Ryonai pursed his lips in deep thought, the 'friends' that Inderhoven spoke of were clans that he hadn't had the best of times getting along with recently. Even if they came to help because of Inderhoven's request, there was no guarantee that they wouldn't try to take the castle from him if he successfully seiged it.

"How about a dragon? They're big enough." Oscuro, an Orc Doomcryer said from the corner of the Clan Hall that his clan rented, where they were currently meeting. Ryonai looked up at him with a bitter frown, and glanced at the large strider, the adolescent form of a Wyvern, sleeping at Oscuro's feet.

"Sure you got an army of those guys?" Ryonai asked flatly, not appreciating the joke at such a crucial moment.

"I like dragons." Shizuka suddenly piped up. "I think that's a good idea."

"Shizuka, we're scheduled to attack in a month, we don't have enough time to build up an army of Wyverns." Ryonai said with a heavy sigh, putting a hand to his head. There were times, like today, when he wondered how it was he could put up with Shizuka's bubble-brain during serious moments.

"Not an army, just one dragon, silly." Shizuka grinned. Twenty or so heads turned to stare at her in disbelief, and Ryonai sighed heavily again.

"Shizuka…" he began, but trailed off as he realized Shizuka's smile had faded and she stared at him with an intense seriousness that he'd never seen before.

"We'll worry about the handicap later; let's focus on the attack plan." Inderhoven said, returning everyone's attention to the parchment. No one noticed as the airhead demeanor left Shizuka's face, and a strange, dark shadow fell over it. She knelt to the ground and held her hand out to the relaxing strider there. The adolescent dragon raised his head a bit and sniffed the air like a dog, its nostrils flaring as it inhaled. A wild look passed its eyes quickly, as if it wished to flee, but then left. With a soft whine deep in its throat, it laid its head back down on the floor of the Clan Hall, and shut its eyes.

"Good boy." Shizuka murmured, and smiled, patting the beasts' snout.

Despite the balmy temperatures settling over the lands of Aden, Elmore remained frigid even though summer was beginning. One lone figure traveled west towards Rune, weary and dusty from walking. Mune Teristen, younger sister to Lavinia, Calisan and Cesa, paused and squinted up to the sky that was trying to shine though thick gray mist. Despite the cold air around her as she stood on the bridge leading from the Swamp of Screams to the Forest of the Dead, she was hot from walking briskly through the poisonous swamp, and the filtered sunlight caused her to feel even hotter.

"Stupid Elmore." She grumbled, adjusting her travel pack on her shoulder and trudging across the bridge. The forest ahead of her was pitch black, all light blocked out by the vast fir trees growing in abundance there. It was said there were vampires that roamed freely within the forest, as well as all manner of zombies and fallen Necromancers whom fashioned themselves into beings known simply as the Bone tribe. Being hot always made Mune grouchy, and heaven help even the nearly omnipotent undead if they dared cross her now.

All was quiet underneath the ceiling of branches, not even an insect chirped or buzzed in the grass lining the path. The forest was hilly and full of drop-offs. It took quite an effort to climb through it, making Mune even hotter than before and consequently grouchier. She grumbled as she hefted herself on top of a rock to catch her breath and gaze out over the landscape. It was impossible to gauge the distance to Rune from where she stood, the trees blocked out everything within a ten foot radius.

"Stupid trees." She growled, fishing into her travel pack for her leather water pouch. Mune's sweaty feet suddenly slid inside of her leather-lined boots and she lost her balance upon the rock. Leather pouch in one hand, she waved her arms precariously for a second, her eyes large with instant fright before her knees buckled and she tumbled down an incline.

"Oof!" someone grunted as she hit the ground. It took Mune a moment to recover from the daze that descended upon her mind at impact before she realized she'd landed not on rocks or grass, but something soft and alive. She lifted her head quickly, strands of platinum blonde hair falling over her face and her eyes large to stare at the face of a slightly tanned elf, wincing in pain. Curiously, in the split second she was still on top of this white-haired elf's body, she felt her heart flutter in a strange way she couldn't recall ever experiencing before.

"I…I'm sorry…" she said breathlessly, pushing herself up. She accidentally placed her hand on his stomach as she hefted herself to her feet, the force of supporting her weight causing the elf to groan and roll over onto his side, where he curled into himself while holding his abdomen. "I'm sorry!" Mune said again, and then frowned, finding apologies to be very unlike herself. "You shouldn't have been there, don't you know people can fall off of those rocks at any second?" she reprimanded a second later, trying to save face.

"I am positive I shall remember that the next time I travel through this forest alone." The man said in an accented voice as he rolled onto his knees. He wore a long travelers cloak and green peasants clothing underneath that. The hood of the cloak had fallen away from his head when Mune landed on him revealing white hair that was spiked straight back. Mune pursed her lips at the style, finding it familiar but unplaceable at the moment. His skin was a strange color of tan, it almost looked painted and false, but Mune didn't care to think much on it. He wasn't gray or a vampire, and that's all that mattered.

"Ok well then, hope you have fun wandering around here, I'm off to Rune." She said dismissively, wishing to get far away from this person to quell the strange feeling in her chest. It was uncomfortable, and she didn't like it.

"W…Wait!" the man shouted as she sped off quicker than a brisk walking pace should allow. Mune halted and glanced over her shoulder with a scowl, her teeth bared slightly. "Might I accompany you? I got lost sometime after entering the woods and without a proper map, I'm unsure of my current location." Mune's eye twitched as he grinned sheepishly at her and rubbed the back of his head in a boyish fashion. His proper grammar and air both annoyed and intrigued her; she wasn't sure if she wanted to strike up a conversation with him or punch him in the mouth. Her face softened slightly as she stared into his sand colored eyes, where she saw fully his fear at traveling the forest alone. All biting retorts she would usually fire at him for being such a careless traveler, to venture into the Forest of the Dead without even a weapon faded, and she sighed heavily.

"Fine, but don't expect me to do much in the way of saving you if something decides we look good for lunch, the creatures here harness strength I can't even begin to chip away at." She shifted her pack and glanced away from him as his face brightened with happiness and relief, trying to hide the blush that had sprung unbidden to her cheeks. Chalking up the flushing to being overheated, Mune cleared her throat and continued down the path.

"My name is Evzen, might I inquire yours?" the man asked politely, clasping his hands behind his back and looking down at her kindly. He was tall; Mune assumed he was six foot to her five foot five inches. The feel of his eyes on her caused her cheeks to burn again, and she stared hard at the ground ahead of her. _What is WRONG with me?_ She asked herself in annoyance.

"Mune." She said sullenly, not looking at him. She kicked a rock by her toes as hard as she could, and watched it as it bounced down the trodden dirt path.

"I would kiss your hand as I was taught, but you seem intent to keep moving now, so I shall say I'm delighted to make your acquaintance." Evzen said with a smile. Mune glanced away from him and shifted her bag on her shoulder.

"That's fine; I'm no good with that formal stuff. That's for the girly ones like my sisters." Mune mumbled, still staring into the trees.

"That's somewhat of a shame; you have such an elegant posturing and appearance." Evzen complimented, shutting his eyes with his smile. Mune's head snapped back to face him quickly, her spine popping with the sudden movement.

"Me? Elegant?" she said, perplexed. She narrowed her eyes at him and stopped walking to glare. "What do you want from me?" she asked roughly. Evzen looked down at her in surprise; his eyebrows raised high into his forehead.

"I don't want anything from you other than not to be left behind as we journey through this terrifying forest." He answered honestly, confused by her reaction. Knowing replaced it a second later, and he tilted his head at her. "Have you not been complimented as a girl before?" he asked curiously. Mune's face turned a bright red and she returned to facing the path and began walking briskly.

"I'm more of a boy than a girl." She grumbled, finding the strange jittery feelings inside of her torso to be irritating.

"I don't think so, and I've only known you for a half-hour now." Evzen grinned.

"Stop complimenting me." Mune mumbled, trying to sink into herself to hide her embarrassment.

"You have very pretty hair. I always did like long hair on a girl," he continued, ignoring her. Mune grunted in discontent and tried to sink further into herself. Her long, bang-less hair was her one and only vanity, although it never seemed anyone noticed. Evzen chuckled and then continued to find compliments about her features as they continued their trek. His voice was met with a vexed grunt from the Swordsinger each time, but that only seemed to encourage him on.

Several hours later they came to a large dead tree in the center of the path. The road went right through a hole in the center of it, as if the tree had purposely spread its roots around the path to allow travel. Mune looked up at it in wonder, unable to see the top of its dead branches from where she stood.

"We mustn't linger here…I feel like we're being watched." Evzen whispered to her, standing close out of fear. Mune's eyes widened as the sleeve of his cloak brushed her arm and jumped away from him. The motion caused him to stare at her in surprise, and then look away as if embarrassed, even though no blush showed on his face. It was something curious that Mune had been slowly noticing more as they traveled together; his face lacked a shine like normal people did. She figured her face was downright glowing not only from embarrassment but from sweat as well, yet Evzen's looked dry. The more she stared at him the more it seemed his complexion was false, even though she couldn't put her finger on why.

She returned her attention to her surroundings as her battle-keen ears suddenly picked up the faint sounds of whispering. She drew her dual swords and gripped them tightly in her hands, glancing around her surroundings with darting eyes that picked up every detail despite the quickness of their movement.

"What is it?" Evzen whispered, alarmed. Mune uncurled one finger from the hilt of her sword and held it up to silence him as she listened. The whispering had silenced as well, as if the whisperer realized Mune had heard them.

"I know you're in there!" Mune shouted boldly into the thick brush lining the road. She gripped her swords in preparation, and clenched her jaw.

"Is it really wise to agitate them?" Evzen winced, clutching his robe in worry. "If it's a vampire…or even one of the Requiem Lords…we'll be dead in moments!" No sooner than the words had left his mouth, there was a rustling in the brush lining an upper ledge above the path. Evzen backed up a few steps, his eyes large as Mune braced herself with an almost darkly giddy look on her face. _Finally, a distraction!_ She thought in glee.

What appeared from the upper ledge was not a Requiem Lord, vampire or even a zombie or demon, but a small human figure with flaming red hair. In her hands she held a blood red sword much too large for someone so small, which swirled with a black flame. Mune's eyes widened in shock as the girl landed on the path in front of her and let out a darkly insane giggle before slashing the sword diagonally across her chest. It cut into her armor and flesh from sternum to hipbone as if both were made of butter. Mune stared in shock at the spray of blood that accompanied it as the girl turned on heel and bolted down the path in the direction they'd been traveling in.

"Mune!" Evzen shouted in alarm, dashing to her side and holding her up. She swallowed against fluid as it rose from her lungs, and stared straight ahead, her eyes unfocused. Supporting her up with one hand at her back, Evzen took her hand with his other and held it tightly. He scrunched his eyes shut as if fighting back tears, his lips moving as if he were speaking to her silently. A bright light surrounded Mune, her wounds knitting back together without so much as a scar.

"You're a healer?" she asked in wonder as soon as her voice returned. The glow faded from around her, and Evzen released her hand. He let out a held breath and looked weary, as if he'd never used the magic before.

"Somewhat of a healer…" he said humbly, smiling at her. Mune pushed herself to her feet and inspected the damage to her armor with a sour face. She retrieved her swords from the ground and stared down the darkened path with a scowl.

"Good, you can keep me healed while I kick that little bitch's ass." Mune said sharply, narrowing her eyes.

"She just cut you down in one hit and you still want to fight her?" Evzen called in disbelief as she raced down the path in hot pursuit of the red sword wielder. "What have I gotten myself into at the expense of a pretty face?" he asked himself mournfully as he gathered up the end of his cloak so he could run without it tangling around his legs.

Mune ran without rest for what felt like an hour, pausing only to listen for the sword wielder and give the slower-running Evzen a chance to catch up to her. Again she grew hot with exertion, making her crankier than ever and eager to take it out on the girl with the sword. She paused at a fork in the road and strained her ears to listen. Faintly she could hear the sound of water running, and even fainter she heard the sound of whispering again. Not giving the girl a chance to get the jump on her again, Mune gripped her swords tightly and crept into the woods off of the path.

The whispering voice grew louder as she tip-toed nearer to the ruins of a house. Mune peered around the corner of the crumbling wall to find the red-haired girl lying on her side near the broken fireplace, stroking the red blade and murmuring to it as if it were a pet. Something akin to pity crept into Mune's heart, and she frowned. The girl had to be no more than twelve or thirteen, and looked sickly and malnourished despite the fierce strength she seemed to have to wield such a heavy sword. She looked downright pitiful cuddling the blade as if it were a pet dog or a stuffed animal. Her temper flared again as she recalled the attack, and the tiny flame of pity was doused.

Without warning, Mune dashed around the corner and ran towards the girl with her swords raised. With speed no human could have, the girl disappeared from the floor and reappeared behind Mune with the sword. Predicting that the girl would attempt to cut her diagonally again, Mune spun on her toes and deflected the blade with one of her swords. It cut through the end of it as easily as it cut through her, and Mune stared at it in disbelief for a second before ducking out of the way as the girl attempted to swing at her a second time. The blade hit the wall and fireplace this time, rock and dust crumbling to the ground.

The girl dashed after Mune with a dark grin, swiping at her with speed too fast for such a large sword. Mune barely managed to dance out of reach of the tip each time, deflecting it once more only to have her cut through the blade again, this time near the hilt. Cursing at her ruined sword, Mune threw the hilt at the girl, who batted it away with a mere swipe of her hand.

"What the hell is the matter with you? Kids should be at home with their families, not killing people with gigantic demonic looking swords!" Mune shouted as the girl swiped at her again.

"It's thirsty." The girl said with a dark giggle. She took another swipe at Mune with it, whom jumped back once again. It occurred to Mune at this time that the girl had been merely toying with her, by the look she had. This ignited her temper to its max, and she gripped her remaining sword tightly. She crouched slightly to gain foothold, determined to propel herself at the girl, when one of the rocks crumbled away from her foot, causing her to stumble. She glanced over her shoulder with large eyes as she realized the girl had pushed her right to the edge of the forest, to the river that separated it from the land near Rune.

"No." Mune said in a low voice, looking back at the girl. The dark smile widening on her face, the girl slashed once more at Mune's midsection, intending to cut her in half. Reflexively Mune's body jerked backwards again, even though she knew there was no ground waiting for her to land on. She slipped from the ledge ungracefully, dropping her sword as she fell backwards.

A brown and green blur dashed past the sword wielding girl and Mune's eyes widened as the determined face of Evzen gracefully dove off of the cliff after her. He grabbed her as they plummeted headfirst towards the choppy, fast-flowing river below them, and held her to his chest, covering her head with one hand in a protective gesture. They both hit the water hard, the splash from the impact erupting several feet into the air.

Up on the ledge, the girl stared at where they disappeared without emotion. She'd been killing people as she happened across them up until then, the sword's voice crying about its never-ending thirst. She turned away from the cliff's edge with a scowl, disappointed that she couldn't please her new metal friend. Her eyes widened as a burst of memory surged through her inner eye, showing her a large family of dwarves that she'd lived with until the men had found her. Knowing returned to her eyes and she sunk to the ground, dropping the sword to stare at shaking hands.

"Mama…" the girl sobbed, reaching for a phantom image of an aged Dwarven woman in front of her. She curled towards her knees and continued sobbing; knowing that the nightmare would return once the sword woke up again.

"Mune...?" Came a voice, penetrating Mune's unconscious mind and rousing her to reality. Mune slowly opened her eyes and blinked a few times lazily, a hazy face hovering over hers. Her eyes widened as Evzen's relieved face came into focus. It almost looked as if someone had poured a bucket of gray paint over his face with how the tan of his flesh was suddenly streaked with a dusky blue-grey color. "Thank goodness you're all right, I was afraid the cold water had been too much of a shock to you." He said, sitting in a chair positioned next to the bed Mune found herself lying in. She was in a rich looking room lined with tapestries and lit by candle torches on the wall, styled in such an Elmore way that she knew she must be in Rune.

"What's wrong with your face?" she asked, her eyes large. Ice settled in her veins as Evzen chuckled and lifted the sleeve of his cloak to rub his cheek. What came off, much to her chagrin, was not the gray coloring but the tan.

"Oh this…I was going to mention that to you while we were walking, but that girl got in the way." He said sheepishly, wiping his face. Mune's entire body recoiled in disgust as the white-haired light elf she thought he'd been faded into a gray-skinned _DARK_ Elf. "I've been on the run for several months now, but I'm horridly bad at keeping myself undercover. My face is unfortunately known by many locals between here and Schuttgart, so I had to wear a disguise…"

"You're…a Dark Elf." She interrupted woodenly, staring at him without expression. Evzen paused in wiping off the tan makeup to tilt his head curiously at her tone of voice.

"Yes, but in physical body only. You see, I'm the oldest of a set of adopted children by this wonderfully splendid Dwarven family up in Schuttgart…" Evzen's voice trailed off as Mune stiffly pushed herself from the bed to stumble over to the mirror and washbasin located at the wall opposite of the bed. She stared into the mirror as her horrified expression was reflected back to her. All of the things she had been feeling while they traveled…all of the compliments he'd given her… _Oh dear gods they came from a DARK ELF._ She thought to herself with a shudder. "Mune?" Evzen pushed himself to his feet as she slowly reached into the top drawer of the dresser the washbasin was located upon and withdrew a pair of scissors. Without a word, Mune grabbed a large chunk of her thick blonde hair, her only vanity, and began snipping through it carelessly "Mune!" Evzen exclaimed now, rushing over to her.

"Don't you DARE lay a pasty finger upon me, you nasty dung fly!" Mune snarled, brandishing the scissors threateningly. Shocked by her sudden change in attitude, Evzen took a step back, not bothering to hide the hurt look on his face. She whipped back around to the mirror and began cutting through the rest of her hair.

"Why are you doing this?" Evzen asked in a small voice, watching as her long locks fell to the floor in dismay.

"Because you like _long_ hair." She spat. She sucked in a hiss of air as her temper clouded her coordination and she cut her neck with the scissor blades.

"You're hurting yourself, stop!" Evzen cried as the cut began to bleed. She ignored him and continued to hack, the stream of blood seeping from the wound into the collar of the powder blue nightgown he'd had her changed into. When the scissors cut her hand not long after the first wound, Evzen finally had enough.

"Don't touch me you weasel fucker!" Mune yelled as Evzen wrenched her hands apart with a surprising strength. "I'll KILL YOU." She snarled, changing her grip on the scissors and driving them into the soft place between his thumb and forefinger. Evzen winced but did not let go as she struggled against him.

"So what if I'm a Dark Elf, that is no reason for you to cause yourself such distress and harm." Evzen's voice came softly. Mune silenced her bestial growling to turn her head slightly and glare at him. "If the fact that I cannot help what I was born as distresses you that much I shall take my leave of you now. I was merely worried for your health, thus I lingered despite that we'd reached Rune." Mune began to tremble with his words, feeling the strange prick of tears welling up in her throat despite the anger raging through her limbs at being fooled into believing he was a Light Elf when he wasn't.

Not trusting her to not maim him upon being released, Evzen leaned forward and touched his lips to the wound on her neck. Skin contact was needed for his healing spell to work, but the visual of kissing away her wound was almost touching in its own way. Mune's eyes widened at the feel of it, and she froze to the spot. He brought her wounded hand to his mouth next, and Mune glanced up at him as he healed it. A blush tinted her cheeks once more at the sight of him kissing the wound, his eyes shut and his face contorted into hurt sadness.

"I will release you now; please do not kill me as you have threatened. I am merely going to walk to the door. You will be rid of me within five seconds." Evzen said in a muted tone. He slowly released her arms and turned towards the door. Mune stared at her face in the mirror with a clenched jaw until she heard the door latch after he passed through it, then let out an angry cry and stabbed the scissors as hard as she could into the wood of the dresser.

Mune emerged from the room an hour later, hunger finally gnawing away at her stomach enough to override her pride at being shown kindness and hospitality by a Dark Elf. A maid had appeared not long after Evzen had left her and given her a rich looking dress to wear and tidied up her hair hack job. Disgusted, Mune demanded her armor only to find it was damaged beyond repair after her fight with the girl. The air around the sword seemed to be razor sharp as well as the blade itself, as her armor was full of tiny splintering cuts, as if dozens of knives had been thrown at it. Pride sore, she sullenly crept out of the room wearing an off-the shoulder, long sleeved dark maroon dress speckled with pink crystal studs across the bodice. It looked like something from the night sky. Even with her shorter hair, Mune somehow managed to look graceful and elflike, and this made her very uncomfortable.

She wandered through the rich upper level of Rune hugging herself, quickly glancing at those around her with large eyes. She didn't trust anyone in Elmore, not after the stories she'd heard of their king. Everyone in the upper level was dressed elegantly and paid enough attention to her as she passed only to give her a distasteful glance and turn their noses into the air. Several clans had halls here, and the air was filled with the clattering of armor as they ran to and from the buildings.

Mune had a Gatekeeper located just inside the upper level of Rune's church transport her down to the poor lower level where she began a search for an inn. The city of Rune was so large; it would've taken her hours to descend from the upper level to the lower.

The lower level of the city was poor, buildings so ramshackle that they appeared as if they'd fall apart at any moment. She found a cheap inn, but the plates within it were so filthy, and food covered in the mixed-in bodies of dead flies that she lost her appetite and returned to exploring.

Her hunger returned as she caught a whiff of an enticing aroma wafting from the lower level of the church. Her stomach growled so loudly those passing snickered at the sound of it. Embarrassed, Mune wrapped her arms tighter across her body and rushed across the drawbridge towards the church.

"So you will be returning soon, then?" the voice of one of the guards said as Mune walked past with her eyes shut in annoyance at the loudness of her stomach.

"Yes…I'm afraid so. A courier came the instant the head priest here notified them of my presence, he's waiting for me in the church." Evzen's voice responded sadly. Mune froze in her tracks and woodenly turned her head to stare with large eyes, panic surging through her body. Next to one of the guards protecting the drawbridge was Evzen, his shoulders drooping in such a way that gave him the appearance of a scolded child.

"Why do you look so down my boy? Why any man half his salt would give any amount of blood to be in your position now! Bilia is a wonderful woman, as well as a great beauty!" the guard exclaimed, smacking Evzen on the back hard enough to make him suck in a pained breath and stand upright.

"I just have no desire to be mar…" Evzen's voice trailed off as he saw the staring Mune, still standing in the spot she'd frozen in upon hearing his voice. He cleared his throat and averted his gaze, and shifted nervously. "Listen, it's been delightful talking to you, but really I must go…" he said to the guard, scooting towards the church.

"Wait…" Mune's mouth said, and she frowned angrily at the unbidden word. Evzen paused, but paled at the scowl she wore the instant after speaking. Mune looked away from him and shifted nervously, silently cursing at the strange heartbeat that suddenly began to pulse in her upper chest and throat.

"Yes…?" Evzen asked uneasily, gazing at her suspiciously. His expression clearly read that he didn't trust her to not launch herself at him in a murderous rage.

"Thanks…for the dress." Mune mumbled, folding her arms across her chest and shoving her lower lip out in a pouting motion. It was as if one part of her was forcing the other to cooperate like a parent to a naughty child, and she reacted as such. Evzen's frightened look melted away to surprise, then to a wide grin. "I still hate your guts cuz you're a dark elf though, so don't think a change of clothes is going to make that fact of life any different." Mune interjected quickly, dropping her arms to her sides and balling her hands into fists.

"No no no, of course not." Evzen responded elegantly, bowing slightly to her. "I am just honored to have been of service to milady." The blush returned to Mune's face with this action, and she looked away from him with another scowl. Her stomach took that moment to cramp uncomfortably before growling loudly, and Mune's blush spread to her entire face, turning it a bright red. Evzen bit the inside of his lips to halt the laugh that wished to burst out with the noise, but Mune saw his action and spun on her heel to march away from him.

"Would you like some lunch? My treat." Evzen offered as she marched away from him. He held up his hands in a gesture of surrender as she glared at him, but no longer seemed intimidated. "If it dishonors milady so much to be treated by a Dark Elf, feel free to pay me back later." He said lightly. Mune opened her mouth slightly to gain momentum and tell him off, but closed it again with large eyes as her stomach growled once more.

"Fine." Mune said sullenly. Evzen smiled good-naturedly and led the way into a tent nearby the church, the source of the delicious smell she'd gotten a whiff of earlier.

Sharmin felt as if she were floating, yet falling. The air around her was warm, comfortable. Her eyes would not open no matter how hard she had tried, but she was not scared. All was comforting darkness, much like a memory of a time before birth, a time when she grew within her mother's womb.

Thin arms wrapped around her chest just underneath her breasts, and she felt a head rest between them. She floated like this for quite some time, until finally remembering how to move her arms, and encircled the body clinging to hers in an embrace.

"Where are you taking me, Sharmin?" Kalline's voice came. "Why are you taking me with you? I can't exist in your world as I am."

"I couldn't leave you behind, you'd be lonely." Sharmin whispered in her head. Her physical mouth and voice wouldn't work, but it seemed Kalline heard her anyway. There was a light snort as Kalline chuckled, and then squeezed Sharmin tighter in a hug.

"I suppose there's one way…but I won't see you for a long time." Kalline murmured, her voice choked with unshed tears.

"As long as you're still with me, it'll be alright." Sharmin whispered again.

"Thank you." Kalline said. Sharmin felt her embrace shift, and suddenly warmth hotter than the air around her filled her. The press of Kalline's body against hers was gone, and Sharmin relaxed as unconsciousness akin to deep sleep claimed her.

She opened her eyes slowly an indiscernible amount of time later, and blinked heavy eyelids as she tried to focus on the night sky above her. Her eyes opened as large as they could go as the touch of cold water shocked her to her senses, and she sat up quickly.

She found she was lying in only a few inches of water, in a fountain within what looked to be the Elmoreden Cemetery near Aden. The feel of death was thick here, the Seal of Shilen close enough to see in the distance. Looking around in a panicked fright, Sharmin pushed herself to her feet. She still wore the rust-colored armor from Bastok, but her weapon had been lost. Joy and fear filled her in the next moment, and she sunk back down to her knees, laughing as tears fell from her eyes. She was finally home!

Sleeping within a room somewhere in Aden, Gatz was suddenly hit with a strange sensation that jolted him out of sleep and caused him to sit up quickly. He took a few breaths, his heart pounding as if he'd been startled. Next to him, Koyori grunted in her sleep and shifted, the covers sliding off of her naked chest.

"Sharmin?" Gatz whispered so faintly, it was almost impossible to discern from a breath. It'd been so long since he'd said that name; it gave him a strange feeling of excitement to utter it again.

"Go back to sleep." Koyori grumbled, too asleep to pick up what he'd said. She draped an arm across his chest as he lay back down. Too awake to sleep, Gatz laid staring at the ceiling, as a smile touched his face. It puzzled him, but the feeling was too pleasant to just push away. It'd been a long time since he'd felt this satisfied, and he was going to let it continue even if it meant he wasn't going to rest properly.


	9. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_In which there is an escape, and an impromptu journey_

Mune woke up early two days after her arrival in Rune, groggy and grouchy. Evzen had kept her out late into the night, giving her a tour of Rune, and talking her ear off about life of the noblemen in Schuttgart. He wasn't snobby about his subjects, but rather very eager to share his life with someone. Mune knew she'd kill someone if she had to listen to his elegantly accented voice for another minute.

Evzen appeared to have been stalling for time by clinging to her, as he'd cast worried glances towards the church, as if watching for someone to emerge. They steered clear of it during his tour as well, so Mune figured whatever courier had been sent to retrieve him was holed up there.

The only good thing to come from the night (and it was even questionable in Mune's mind if this was a good thing in its entirety) was that Evzen purchased her new armor and swords from a Dwarven merchant. The armor was called Zubei, and was gold with little metal angel wings welded to the shoulder joints. Underneath was a surprisingly comfortable red and gold dress. Sensing that Evzen was going to comment on the wings in a complimentive way correlating to angels, Mune growled in her throat and glared at him to silence his thoughts. Evzen had looked at her in surprise, shocked that she seemed to know him that well already.

Now morning, Mune had pushed herself from bed even though she wanted nothing more than to sleep longer. She'd forgotten her original intention of traveling to Rune after all of the excitement, and decided to check with the warrior guild teachers for new things to study and head off before Evzen woke.

After porting to the lower level, Mune took a breath and adjusted her breastplate before marching indignantly across the drawbridge to the church's lower level, where the warrior guild was housed.

"Mune, good morning!" Evzen's voice came. Mune froze to the spot and glanced fearfully over her shoulder to find a smiling Evzen jogging towards her, waving. He looked chipper and cheerful, as if he'd been up for hours. Quite the opposite of Mune's current state, and quite unwelcome.

"Stay away from me!" Mune shouted, and broke into a run towards the church doors. Evzen paused for a moment in surprise, then his grin grew wider and he broke into a run after her. He was discovering that Mune was mostly bark and very little bite, and it was extremely fun to tease her.

She glanced over her shoulder and yelped as she found Evzen quickly gaining on her with elegant strides, his long legs making up the distance between them faster than her short ones could assist her to escape.

She slid to a stop just inside the grand doorway of the church, her hair falling over her face in strands. Her breath caught in her chest and her eyes widened as large as they could go not out of fright, but shock. There, growing peacefully and healthy at the altar of the church, was an adolescent mother tree, tiny firefly lights falling gracefully to the stone floor. Guards stood in front of it with stern expressions, sworn to guard the precious life-giver with their very own.

"Oh, Lord Evzen, there you are!" a thin beanpole of a human with pale blue-gray hair and sallow cheeks exclaimed. He moved away from the head priest and began walking towards Mune, relief flooding his expression.

"Oh shit!" Evzen said in an un-polite manner. He fell to his bottom as he tried to stop himself from crashing into Mune and escape the courier at the same time. He sucked in a breath of air and rubbed where his bottom had met the cobbled stone floor, and winced. "Mune?" he questioned, as Mune continued to stare with large eyes at the tree. She took a step forward as if in a trance, her hands trembling slightly.

"You've…had a mother tree here all along…and never told us?" she breathed, speaking to Rune itself and not to Evzen. His lips parted, and fear began to form like a cold ball in the center of his chest. The air around Mune had changed, and it was more frightening than when she threatened to kill him for simply being a Dark Elf.

"Excuse me?" The courier questioned politely, thinking it was to him she spoke. Mune pushed past him roughly, her face slowly contorting into rage. The guards around the tree took notice of her and straightened up; their arms tense and ready to swing their swords.

"You've had a mother tree here all along and let us believe that ours were the last?" Mune shouted this time, stomping towards them and drawing her swords. The head priest gasped and held up his hands in shock, and the guards drew their swords.

"Mune, stop!" Evzen shouted, but his plea was lost as Mune let out a battle cry and dove at the guards.

"Stop! I will not have bloodshed in this holy church!" the head priest shouted as Mune clashed swords with the guards. "Stop it I said!" he snapped. "Guards! Guards!" he shouted, trying to alert the others outside.

The stone underneath Mune's feet suddenly elongated into dozens of tendrils and wrapped around her feet. With an angry shout she fell to the ground, and looked up with a hiss to find Evzen's eyes shut in concentration. Thinking Evzen meant to assist them, the guards began to beat Mune with the flat of their swords and kick her with their feet. Evzen cast another spell, and the guards fell to the ground, asleep.

"You would help them keep their tree?" Mune coughed, glaring at Evzen as he knelt beside her.

"You disgusting elf, you defiled and killed your own tree with the Sea of Spores, why would we allow you to take even a bit of ours?" the priest snapped. "Guards, where are you!" He turned angry, beady eyes on Evzen next. "You! You are a traitor to Elmore to socialize with such barbaric filth from Aden! The church of Rune recognizes your family as nobles no longer!"

Both Evzen and Mune stared at the priest in shock for two very different reasons. The spell holding her legs faded, and she jumped to her feet towards the priest with an angry cry. Evzen caught her before she reached him, and she struggled against his grip with a bestial noise.

"That's not true! We didn't kill the mother tree, it was you disgusting humans and the Dark Elves!" she snarled, trying to jump out of Evzen's grip but only succeeding in rising off of the ground a bit. She kicked her legs as Evzen began dragging her backwards, away from the terrified priest. "THAT'S NOT TRUE!" she screamed.

"Lord Evzen, this way!" a Dark Elf from the Magic guild hissed, putting a hand on Evzen's shoulder and guiding him towards the library. The clattering of guards' armor echoed through the church, and the priest began to shriek hysterically and point at them.

Evzen dragged Mune away from the Mother Tree and after the Dark Elf. The heavy doors to the library were shut as soon as they entered, and barred with heavy wood. Other Dark Elf mages had cornered the Elven and Human teachers into a corner, glaring at them threateningly, while an Orc shaman, his eyes and mouth sewn shut with thick black thread, stood on the upper level of the library and opened up a hidden doorway behind a bookshelf.

"Hurry through the door Lord Evzen, but do not enter the portal you will see on the other side. There are a few loose stones nearby the portal that will open up to a tunnel leading out of Rune, hurry!" the Dark Elf, a woman, urged as she pushed them towards the ladder leading to the upper level.

"You mustn't do this; it is treason to help ousted nobles of the church!" Evzen said in shock. Mune had gone limp, and stared at the floor like a glassy-eyed doll.

"We were never content to follow the teachings of the gods." The Dark Elf said with a wicked grin. "Our head priest will give us sanctuary once we enter the temple again."

"Pagans! Worshippers of Triol!" an Elven Magister said fearfully. "You send one of ours to her death as your sacrifice!" he pointed at Mune as he spoke, his arm trembling.

"Do not assume what you do not understand, pig." The Dark Elf guarding them spat.

"Hurry!" the woman urged, pushing Evzen up the ladder. Pounding began on the other side of the library doors just as Evzen pulled Mune through the hidden doorway. They found themselves in a long, dank corridor that was plunged into near darkness as the bookshelf was slid back across the doorway. There were muffled shouts of agony, one that Evzen recognized as the frightened Elf whom spoken of the Dark Elves being Pagans. His heart leapt into his throat as he realized the cost on others of receiving help from Pagans; those spectating had seen the secret doorway leading to their temple, they had to be silenced for the secret to remain.

There was a slight space between some wood planks making up the back of the bookshelf, and Evzen crouched to peer through it. Over the tops of some books he saw the Dark Elves and Orc Shaman licking clean ceremonial daggers. Bile rose in his throat at the sight, and he swallowed hard against it. The doors burst outward and the Rune guards poured in.

"In the glorious name of our dark lord Triol! Blessed are those who consume the blood of innocents!" the woman whom helped Evzen shouted, raising the ceremonial dagger. "Sanctuary we shall receive from your laws in the temple of our lord, forever we are to serve him in blood!"

"Blessed be!" the other Dark Elves echoed, then all of them, Orc included, stabbed themselves in the throat. Evzen winced and looked away as the guards cried out in horror. He glanced back to see a dark mist rising from the bodies of the Dark Elves and Orc, their souls taking the shape of the demonic creatures that called the hidden Pagan's Temple their home. They raced through the group of guards, whom cried out as they died, and Evzen looked away once more, trying not to vomit at the sight. All of this was too much for just an Elf from Aden going berserk at the sight of a Mother Tree. There was something deeper going on that Evzen and Mune had unfortunately been the catalyst of bringing to a head.

Mune sat against the opposite wall of the corridor, staring at her bent knees blankly with her hands limp at her sides. A rat squeaked and ran from a gap in the stones of the slimy walls, across her hand, and into the wall on the other side. Mune jumped and looked down in shock to find rats gathering around her hand, sniffing it curiously, wondering if she were dead and they could eat her. She screamed hysterically and began thrashing; as her hair had been her only vanity, rats and other rodents were her only fear.

"Shh, Mune!" Evzen hissed, holding her wrists in an attempt to still her movement. Now forgetting their mortal bodies, the demons that had once been helpful Dark Elves perked at the sound of her voice, and began to slide towards the bookshelf. Evzen stared at the wood fearfully as it began to shake, the demons trying to remember how to move it aside. "Mune, we have to get moving, now!" Evzen said as Mune wailed in fright. "Mune, it's ok. We'll get out of here right now." Evzen said smoothly, pushing her hair from her face as she sobbed. He cupped her cheeks in his hands and made her look at him in the eyes. It was odd, he thought, usually it was he whom was the coward. "Alright?" he asked, searching her sky blue eyes intently. She nodded and sobbed again, coherent enough to find sense in his words. He pulled her to her feet as the shaking on the bookshelf worsened, and dragged her quickly down the corridor towards the room at the end. Mune yelped as more rats darted across their path, but Evzen kept them moving.

There was a large, glowing pink barrier in the room at the end of the hall, and Evzen began searching the walls intensely for the loose stones that would open the way to safety. He found them easily, and relief flooded his senses as he pulled them loose.

"This way, Mune!" he said, looking over his shoulder. Mune jumped, startled by his voice, one hand poised in the act of reaching towards the portal curiously. Clucking his tongue like an adult silently reprimanding a child, he slid over to her and grabbed her hand. Just as he pushed her into the dark tunnel beyond the stones, the bookshelf exploded, and Evzen could hear the sounds of the demons as they hurried towards them. "Get in, now!" he hissed.

"What if there are rats in here?" she whimpered, not moving.

"There aren't any rats in there, hurry!" he lied, hoping that it were true. Mune whimpered again and crawled into the darkness beyond. Evzen ducked in and pulled the stones protecting the doorway shut, just as the demons entered the room to find it empty.

They crawled for what felt like forever, in a tunnel without light. Evzen felt himself growing claustrophobic, and reassured himself by reaching out to touch Mune's leg every so often. She began to recover as they crawled, and would snap "don't touch me!" to him as he brushed her calf.

They emerged into the daylight what felt like hours later, dirty and dusty, their hands and knees raw from crawling on them for so long. Mune exhaled a long breath and stared at the trees ahead of her. They'd emerged some distance away from Rune, and now faced the Forest of the Dead once more.

"So where are you going now?" Evzen inquired politely as he began to heal his hands. He reached for Mune to heal her, but she jerked away from his touch.

"Goddard. I'll use the Gatekeeper there to go back to Aden and tell my sister about the tree here. Maybe the Magisters at home can do something about it." Mune grumbled, her cheeks pink. She didn't look at him as she spoke, instead focused on the river dividing Rune Township from the Forest.

"Alright then, if you allow me to heal you so infection will not set in, we can be off quicker than a fox after a rabbit." Evzen stated cheerfully, smiling at her and holding out his hand. Mune's response was to fall into a hateful glare.

"Who said you were coming with me?" she asked darkly, keeping her hands protectively behind her body. Evzen's eyes opened slowly from the friendly squint to accompany his smile to blink at her curiously.

"Why wouldn't I come with? It's twice now that I've assisted you, you might need me again." He said logically. Mune's hair prickled out as her temper flared, and she stormed away from him without a backwards glance.

"You can go screw yourself in the abyss!" she snarled, wading across a shallow part of the river to the path on the other side. Evzen watched her expressionlessly as she slid trying to climb up the sandy incline leading into the forest. She looked over her shoulder and bared comical fangs at him as he snickered when she fell flat on her face. He waited patiently until she'd climbed up to the top of the incline before crossing the river himself and walking up a sl0ping, non-sandy path just a few feet away from he sandy incline, and joining her.

"I really hate you from the very core of my soul." She growled, turning on heel and stomping away from him.

"I love you too." He said easily, following her.

The air near the gatekeeper's gazebo in Heine wavered in a way similar to heat off of sun-warmed stone, and Ryonai, Shizuka, Inderhoven and a Dark Elf by the name of Zaren appeared. They walked easily out of the mirage-effect, the teleporting abilities of the Gatekeepers improving finally to not drop travelers on anything but their feet.

"Ah my city." Ryonai said wistfully, taking a deep breath of the sea-salty air.

"Not your city yet, my friend." Inderhoven stated logically, reading a battle-plan parchment that Ryonai had presented him back in Giran. Ryonai frowned and gave Inderhoven a side long glance, then returned to his silent appreciation of Heine.

"So I can trust you guys to be here in two weeks time?" Ryonai asked, staring up at the steeple of the church of Einhasad. He frowned as he swore he saw the faint wavering image of a person standing on the roof of the church. Shizuka giggled beside him as the image disappeared, and he glanced at her. She had her eyes shut and a hand raised daintily to her lips as she chuckled. It almost seemed suspicious to Ryonai, but Shizuka was known to find the specks in her vision funny.

"Just so long as we have your solemn word to keep up your end of the bargain and come to our aid, should we ever need it." Inderhoven said, rolling up the parchment. "This is a good plan, very thought out and impressive for a green leader." Ryonai frowned again at his compliment, but shrugged lightly.

"I have a friend and clan mate whom fought in several of Elmore's civil wars, his knowledge is too good to be wasted." Ryonai said.

"It's been almost fifty years since their last civil war; even I barely remember them, that's a lucky find." Inderhoven said, this time genuinely impressed. Inderhoven was a middle-aged Dark Avenger, his brown hair speckled with gray and face sporting scars of battle. Vlad had helped Ryonai assemble the battle plan, and although older than Inderhoven, he looked much younger.

"Let's go to the Garden of Eva." Shizuka suddenly exclaimed, grabbing Ryonai's arm and bouncing. The wind caught the hem of her shining white skirt and hefted it into the air, giving everyone a view of her panties. Ryonai's face reddened at the sight and he cleared his throat.

"Why do you want to go there?" he asked, moving her in front of him to block her from the breeze and hide the embarrassing reaction his body was attempting to display. Shizuka giggled and leaned back against his red and black breastplate to grin at him.

"There's something I want to show you." She stated in a singsong voice. She reached up and touched his face gingerly with her fingertips, and Ryonai gave her a half grin.

"Elven women are irresistible, aren't they?" Inderhoven laughed, noticing Ryonai's visible emotional fight against her request. He was dating a beautiful Elven Healer by the name of Espy.

"Shizuka, we have to wait here for the rest of the clan to arrive." Ryonai said in an almost whining voice. He could never deny her, no matter how hard he tried.

"Aw, but it's a good surprise." Shizuka pouted, sticking her lower lip out and batting her eyelashes.

"I'll stay here to greet people when they arrive." Zaren spoke up. Ryonai lifted his head quickly and stared at him blankly, having forgotten he was there.

"You're new to he clan Zaren, you don't know everyone yet." Ryonai said, pushing Shizuka away from him with a great battle of willpower.

"I'll check for crests, as long as even one of them has one displayed, I should be fine." He said good-naturedly. He was a fresh new Shilen Knight, the Dark Elf opposite of Narlafayn's Temple Knight, and one of a few. Elven knights of either side were incredibly hard to find, and Ryonai felt himself lucky to be in the acquaintance of two.

Ryonai sighed heavily and looked back down to Shizuka, who was still pouting prettily at him and forcing her eyes to look large and moist, as if she were going to cry. "Fine, let's go to the Garden of Eva." He said, defeated. Shizuka cheered and clapped, hopping up and down in glee.

"Alright then, I'll see you within two weeks time. It'll be a pleasure warring with you." Inderhoven said good-naturedly, and shook Ryonai's hand firmly. The group parted ways then, Inderhoven back to Giran, Zaren to an inn, and Ryonai and Shizuka towards the Garden of Eva.

A lone figure wavered into being atop the Church of Einhasad's roof. It sported pale blue skin and long straight hair the same color blue as the waters around Innadril. A webbed hand placed itself on the steeple of the church, as if to balance its body, and eyes slit like a snake or a cat watched as the group departed. Shizuka looked towards the church and, as if she saw the blue person, giggled again, earning another puzzled glance from Ryonai. The figure atop the church grinned once, sharp white teeth like a cat's displaying before the person faded as if they had been an afterimage.

Sharmin walked wearily towards Aden Castle. She'd been delighted to see the grand steeple of the castle after leaving the Cemetery, as she'd never seen it before, but the castle was farther away than it seemed, and she'd been walking for several days.

Mindless undead had given way to the intelligent Silenos, and Sharmin found it hard to find a safe place to camp at night. She had managed to somehow kill a skeleton armed with a bow and arrow with her weak holy magic, but she had no defense against the living horse-men slowly moving their camps toward Aden Castle. Now close enough to the castle to see the strange thin pathways curving outside of it, Sharmin stared at it in awe, never before seeing anything of Aden, the city of her birth.

A Silenos took notice of her as she stared dumbfounded at the golden glow above her, and after letting out a bellowing bray, charged towards her wielding a blunt tomahawk. Sharmin's eyes widened and she broke into a run, racing as fast as she could away from the blue creature. His hooves clopped loudly as he ran after her; surprisingly fast despite his large size.

She raced as fast as she could towards Aden's castle wall, her breath coming out in frightened gasps. She didn't want to return to this world just to die! That wasn't fair! She passed by a figure she hoped was human and whimpered 'help me!' as she passed.

"Sharmin?" the person, a man, exclaimed. He chanted a strange spell she'd never heard before, and suddenly the rotting corpse of an Orc that the Silenos had killed some time ago rose to his feet, leaves and dirt from the poor burial he was given falling off of him. The Orc swung a limp arm and groaned, catching the Silenos around his throat. Sharmin looked over her shoulder just as the zombie Orc's hand clenched, crushing the Silenos' throat with a braying whine from it. She looked away with a wince, and then knelt to the ground to catch her breath.

"Thank you, I appreciate your help." She panted as the person approached her.

"By the eyes of Gran Kain…it is you!" the man breathed. Sharmin squinted and glanced up, her eyes widening as she realized who stood over her.

"Ferrol!" she exclaimed, jumping up and hugging him fiercely. She was so relieved to see a living person, someone she actually knew, that she began to weep again, relieved that she wasn't alone.

"Oh my girl…my girl!" Ferrol exclaimed, his own voice choked with tears. He rocked her back and forth as she cried, petting her hair and trying to silence her. "I had heard what happened to you down in that Garden…oh this is truly a miracle today!" he said, sniffling.

"I'm not dreaming that I'm home then?" Sharmin asked mid-sob. Ferrol let out a watery laugh, and squeezed her.

"If it is a dream, then it is one that I am sharing!" Ferrol said, pulling away from her to look into her face. "You haven't aged a day from when I saw you last." He said with a smile, cupping her cheek. Sharmin laughed once and wiped under her eyes.

"Of course I haven't, it's only been a couple of months." She said, echoing his smile and sniffling. Ferrol's smile faded suddenly as if all of the muscles in his face died. It was now that Sharmin noticed Ferrol's hair seemed a little grayer, and his face a little more lined. "It…has been two months, right?" Sharmin heard herself asking, a feeling of dread settling in her chest.

"Oh cruel fate…" Ferrol whispered, "…where did that witch of creation send you?" Sharmin's lips parted as he gazed upon her in pity, and her heart began to pound.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, panicking.

"Sharmin…" Ferrol began, taking her hands in his, "It's been two years since you were taken in the Garden."

Sharmin's heart felt as if it had stopped and turned to cold stone then, and she snatched her hands from his as if he'd grown hot. "Stop teasing me Ferrol that almost had me scared for a minute." She said with a nervous laugh. Ferrol did not echo it as she hoped; instead his expression of pity grew. "Stop it, this isn't funny!" Sharmin said louder, her voice tinged with hysteria. Again he did not answer her, or show any sign of mirth, as she wanted. She took in a few gasping breaths and glanced at the landscape around her, trying to find some comforting landmark that would prove to her that Ferrol was teasing her. However, since she had never been to Aden before then, she did not recognize her surroundings, and she let out an anguished cry before falling to her knees.

"Shh…it's all right, you'll be alright." Ferrol whispered, holding her as she began to sob afresh.

"What did I do to deserve this?" Sharmin asked mournfully, her voice muffled by her hands. Two years? So many things would have changed by then, the landscape, the people in charge. Oh gods, her friends and Komugi…they were all two years older and she was still the same! What would they think? How would they treat her now? Were they all even still alive?

"I assure you Sharmin, you did nothing to deserve this, and you were just a victim of that witch, just like me." Ferrol said, his voice hard and full of hatred for Einhasad. "But look on the bright side, I'm still here and just the same as when you last saw me. Maybe a few more spells under my belt and a bit rougher around the edges, but I'm still the same old Ferrol." He smiled, lifting her face to look at him. He clucked his tongue and wiped the tears from her cheeks as if she were a child. "Come, it isn't safe here, let us go into town and I'll catch you up on the doings of the world for the last two years." He helped her to her feet as he spoke, and smiled at her encouragingly.

"No, no I can't!" Sharmin said, panicked. She jerked away from him and took a few steps back, her eyes large. "I can't see them again, not when they've gone through two years of hurt and changes and I haven't been there." She began to hyperventilate again, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks. "I don't want to see them changed by time until I've caught up, I can't! It's not fair to them!"

"What's not fair to them, young lady, is to deny them seeing you after worrying about your condition for two years." Ferrol said sternly, putting his hands on his hips. "Oh yes, they've worried about you. I spoke with this charming lad by the name of Ryonai several months ago, and trust me, they still think about you."

"I can't see them like this…" Sharmin sobbed, covering her face again.

"So then what is your solution? Hiding away for two years until you feel you've physically aged enough? Then there will be another two years between you and your loved ones. This cycle will continue." Ferrol snapped, grabbing her by her wrist and pulling her hand from her eyes. His face softened as she stared at him mournfully, and he hugged her close. "It'll be all right my girl. Should they be bastards and not accept you as you are, I shall stay with you for as long as my life shall allow." Sharmin pulled away and stared at him, unsure for a moment if she wanted to spend the rest of her life in the shadow of this Necromancer, but in the end she smiled, finding something genuinely fatherly about his presence.

"Alright." She assented quietly, earning a bright grin from the older man.

"That a girl." He said, putting an arm across her shoulders and leading her towards Aden Castle Town. "Now, to catch you up…the Ivory Tower is in the process of finding passage to this island north off the cost of the Garden of Shilen…"


	10. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_In which there is a reunion in Giran, and Ryonai finds that wet armor is uncomfortable_

A party of four elves, three Dark and one Light, entered Giran a week later. Supported between Narlafayn and Amari, Terebel squinted up to the decorated archway as they entered the city through the south entrance. Scrapped for money they'd traveled by Gatekeeper to Gludin, and then taken the boat from there to Giran Harbor. Terebel had slowly grown weaker as they journeyed, and could not walk on his own for very long.

"Perhaps you should just relax in Heine once we arrive. I hear the place is very therapeutic, even for Dark Elves." Amari suggested, straining under Terebel's weight. "You're in no shape to fight in any siege."

"I gave my word that I'd be there, so I'm going to be there. I just need a few days of uninterrupted sleep, that's all." Terebel stated stubbornly, purposely leaning more of his weight on Amari.

"What's been with you, anyway? Are you sure you didn't pick up some STD from wonder whore back in the home village?" Vuylay asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow. Terebel responded to her with a glare as Narlafayn paled with the thought. He vocalized a retort nasty enough as his expression, but it was lost as the noise increased the closer they ventured to Giran's marketplace square.

"Where was it we were supposed to meet Ryonai, anyway?" Amari asked, gazing around the crowded square. He ducked out from underneath Terebel's arm and stretched his stiff shoulders. "I'll go see if I can find him, wait here." He darted into the crowd and was lost from their view.

"Always quick to escape, he is." Vuylay grumbled, glaring at the wake of air swirling behind him. She tsked and began to curiously peruse the wares a Dwarf had set out near her feet.

"Honestly though, will you be ok?" Narlafayn asked gently. Terebel leaned his weight towards the ground, and Narlafayn knelt to help him sit. "You've been weak ever since that day, you aren't sick, are you?"

"I just feel really weak and tired, that's all. I think I overdid it." He responded with a chuckle. He pulled on her arm until she sat next to him, her back against his chest, and wrapped his arms around her. "While you were gone, I became quite the fighting machine. I guess I was so pent up that I didn't notice I was straining myself."

"Sorry." Narlafayn mumbled, looking down. She hated herself for neglecting him to the point that he was finding comfort in fighting, it ashamed her still to hear him speak of it.

"Don't be, it's said and done now." Terebel murmured, hugging her close to him and placing a light kiss on her ear. She shivered lightly in her armor at the brush of his lips, and rubbed her arms to stay off the goose bumps that threatened to appear. Terebel smirked, proud of himself for getting such a reaction out of her.

"But I should've…." Narlafayn began, then never finished as she realized she was going to blurt out something embarrassing to be spoken in public. Her face burned as she shifted away from him slightly, and he chuckled.

"We'll rectify that soon, I promise." He whispered, kissing her neck this time. Narlafayn froze to her spot this time, her eyes large and body coiled and tense.

"You're really evil, I'm discovering." She said, turning slightly to give him an annoyed look. He grinned wickedly at her in reply, and kissed her nose.

"Call it justified revenge." He said mischievously. "And I never did get a chance to tell you yet that I really appreciate this Dwarven Chain armor of yours. It gives me a great show when you fight." Narlafayn's mouth dropped open in disbelief as he wiggled his eyebrows at her, and she pulled away from him to look at him fully.

"You pervert!" she exclaimed, feeling self-conscious and tucking her skirt under her thighs. Elven skirts were horrible for those whom were self-conscious, as for some reason, the classic design was to show the girls panties as much as possible without being outright sultry like the Dark Elves. Narlafayn had forgotten this, after wearing a metal bikini for so long.

"Am I interrupting something?" a familiar youthful voice asked, gaining the pair's attention.

"Yes." Terebel said automatically before fully glancing up at the newcomer.

"Leon!" Narlafayn squealed, hopping to her feet and tackling the Paladin with a fierce hug. He squeezed her back with a grin, and they pulled apart to inspect one another. "Doom armor, nice!" she complimented.

"Dwarven Chain on you, didn't you want Full Plate?" Leon responded curiously. Narlafayn pulled away with a frown and stuck her tongue out at him. She knew her armor was not as well made as the other armors she could've chosen from, but she felt comfortable in it after staying so long in the Mithril and she didn't want to be completely confined within metal again. "Come, walk with me, we'll talk. I haven't seen you for over a year after all." He smiled. Narlafayn hesitated and glanced down at Terebel, who sighed and waved his hand.

"Go ahead, just don't come back here three years from now and expect me to still be sitting here." He grumbled. Guilt suddenly struck Narlafayn's stomach, but instead of sitting back down with him, she bent over and kissed his forehead.

"I'll just be gone for a few minutes, I promise." She chuckled. Terebel cast a swift glance in Leon's direction over her shoulder, and then pressed Narlafayn's face to his by putting a hand at the back of her neck. Her lips were crushed against his, and he kissed her in the most possessive way he could think of, just so Leon didn't get any keen ideas. Narlafayn nearly melted from it, and pulled away from him with great effort.

"You're terrible." She said breathlessly, trying to unsuccessfully muster up an annoyed glare.

"That's my name." He smirked, gazing at her through heavy lids. The air around them felt almost thick and tangible, and Narlafayn suddenly wanted to fall into Terebel's arms and take a rain check with Leon.

"Holy crap you guys, you're in public." Vuylay's voice came, ruining the mood between the pair. "Good gods, the hormones are so thick suddenly I can open my mouth and eat them."

"Well that visual just killed my blood flow." Terebel said loudly, leaning back against the base of the statue he'd taken a seat against. Narlafayn's face turned bright red and she stood up, her hair hiding her eyes from view.

"And that statement has just killed my appetite for the day. Shall I come back later?" Leon asked in irritation, shifting his weight to one foot and tapping it impatiently.

"No, I'm coming; I think I need to take a walk." Narlafayn responded quickly, walking ahead of them towards the west side of town. Leon gave Terebel a puzzled look before following after her, leaving the two Dark Elves alone.

"Why don't you just bang her already and get it over with?" Vuylay asked in irritation, taking a seat next to him.

"Such vulgar language for a lady." Terebel said snootily, turning his nose up at her.

"Oh please, spare me the high and mighty pretending." Vuylay said acidicly, rolling her eyes. "I'm serious, you guys had the perfect chance back in the Elven Village, and even again while Amari and I went out hunting during our trek here, yet you didn't. Why? Did you really pick up something from Kartia?"

"No, I did not." Terebel stated firmly, glaring at her. "I want the mood and timing to be perfect for us, not just some random relief of frustration. I've had enough of that; I want it to be meaningful for her." He gazed into the sky with a glassy-eyed expression, a wistful smile plastered on his face.

"Dear gods you're in love." Vuylay said, her eyes wide. The expression dropped from Terebel's face in an instant, stung by her words. He couldn't find the drive to deny her claim however, which puzzled him.

"As if you have room to talk, you've been on swords and glass since we got close to Giran. Heart pounding that much to see Ryonai again? Got an itch for him to scratch?" Terebel retorted instead. Vuylay shot to her feet quickly, and looked down at him, fuming. She opened her mouth, but then closed it again when no words would come.

"I'm going shopping." She grumbled, storming into the crowd. Terebel smirked as she left, feeling proud of himself for winning their verbal fight. He shifted himself against the statue base until comforatable, and shut his eyes to doze.

"So I take it you're here to join that siege in Innadril?" Leon asked after they'd caught up with each other on personal events. They walked around the outer wall of the city, toward the magic guild as they spoke.

Giran was built right at an inlet, the fresh water from the river flowing inland mixing with the salt water of the ocean and creating very green water. The city itself was huge, spanning several miles across and filled to the brim with traders from all over the world and every walk of life. It was a large, brown stonewalled city, built to protect it from invaders and warring clans, something which passed by its gates many times within a year.

Giran's Castle stood almost two weeks worth of travel to the east, positioned far enough away to keep the castle lord safe in case Antharas decided to go rampaging. Giran castle was almost constantly in a state of siege, clans from all over the map trying their best to gain the castle from its current lords. It was surprising Giran did so well with merchants despite all of the death floating around, but one always says, war is money.

"Yes, how'd you know?" Narlafayn responded with raised eyebrows. Leon grinned and paused at the railing looking out over the ocean mouth. Seagulls cried overhead and a salty smelling breeze blew in with the evening air.

"Our clan was signed up to help you a week ago." Leon said, taking a deep breath of the fresh air. Narlafayn nodded in interest before blinking rapidly.

"Was?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow at his choice of words.

"Yeah, unfortunately half of our clan just suddenly left for a larger alliance a few days ago. It was rather sudden, but I suppose they desired more war than the occasional help in a siege here and there." He said sadly, giving her a weak smile.

"I don't understand people who will go searching for death like that." Narlafayn said with a shiver, hugging herself. The breeze blowing in suddenly felt cold as she remembered the day in the Cruma Marshlands.

"Some of us were made to protect while others destroy, tis the balance of the world." He said, patting her on the shoulder. "Those of us whom are left will be heading out, although I don't think we'll be of much help at our current numbers, unfortunately." He sighed heavily as they began walking back towards the city entrance.

"Who's left?" she asked, bracing herself for the worst.

"Me, an Orc Doomcryer, our clan leader whom is a Dark Avenger, an Elven Elder, two Scavengers, a Blade Dancer, an Orc Destroyer, a Phantom Ranger and her wife, whom is a Prophet, but she's currently injured and ordered bed rest at our hall's dormitories. Inder's trying to get more people to join, but it's difficult to find trustworthy people so close to a siege." Leon ticked off on his fingers. Dread settled in Narlafayn's chest at his count, knowing that Ryonai's siege was a guaranteed failure at this point. Her face brightened as an idea burst to life in her head.

"Stay here, I'll be right back!" she exclaimed, dashing back into the city. She raced past the statue she left Terebel next to, barely glancing at him and Amari and Vuylay as they looked at her curiously.

"Oh, Narlafayn! Bad news, Ryonai supposedly left not long ago…" Amari began as she raced past him.

"That's horrible, sorry! I'll be back!" she called over her shoulder to his dumbfounded look. He looked between Terebel and Vuylay before shrugging, as confused as they were by her rush.

"I'll go find out what's up." Terebel said, pushing himself slowly to his feet.

Narlafayn veered to the east, to a side street where she had to leap over a Dwarven merchant to not run into them or their wares. She slid to a stop, at an archway leading into the warehouse district of the city, and dashed towards the large building at the center of the square. Upon entering the warehouse, she bowled over a dark elf just inside the doorway, but pushed herself to her feet without as much as an apology to them.

"How rude!" one of the warehouse frieghtmen exclaimed, glaring at her.

"I'm sorry, but I need to freight a letter to the Elven Village, as fast as you can!" Narlafayn said breathlessly, leaning her hands on the counter in front of the three Dwarven freightmen. They were protected behind a steel bar cage, in case a thief tried to take off with the wares they protected.

"Are y'daft you blottin elf? Too many blows to the head gotcher brains a-scrambled? This is a warehouse, not a bleedin' post office!" the head freightman exclaimed in disbelief. Narlafayn shook her head as a response as she pulled a piece of parchment and a charcoal stick from her travel pack and hastily scribbled a note.

"I know you Dwarves have some sort of network set up, don't give me that." She said, not looking up at them. "I need this to get to them today, not in a few days or longer, whenever the mail carrier decides to make their way over to the Elven Village." Pursing her lips for a moment, Narlafayn dug a recipe she'd picked up off of an undead skeleton after vanquishing it and tucked the letter into it. "Please put this into the warehouse of Cesa Telrúnya, and make sure Julia back home lets her know that an odd object has shown up. Please!" she held the parchment out with both hands, her elbows resting on the counter, and tried to muster up the most pitiful pleading expression she could.

The Dwarf behind the bars inspected her for a moment with squinted eyes before reaching out hesitantly to take the parchment. "How much is it worth yeh?" the Dwarf asked, pulling it from Narlafayn's hand. Narlafayn pursed her lips again and reached into her travel pack.

"She's with me, so put it on my tab." A smooth voice said. Narlafayn's eyes widened at the familiarity of it and spun around just as a hand grabbed her bicep.

"Deathswalker!" she gasped as the Dwarf behind the counter paled. Deathswalker smirked darkly at Narlafayn, unchanging in the years that she hadn't seen him. His hair was still long in the front and cropped short in back, red bandanna still secured around his forehead and same cocky smirk frozen on his face. The only thing that had changed was his attire, as he wore smoke grey and brown armor that was a similar skirted style as the Manticore, only this was adorned with brown bat wings and had large, winged gauntlets adorning his arms.

"Yes sir Mr. Deathswalker sir!" the Dwarf sputtered, rushing off to the back room to deliver Narlafayn's letter.

Keeping his gaze locked with hers Deathswalker slid backwards across the warehouse interior to a tight space between two standing armoires in the corner. He roughly pushed Narlafayn into the space and then pressed against her, filling the space with both of their bodies and keeping her trapped.

"Let go of me or I'll scream!" Narlafayn growled, struggling against him. She attempted to knee him in the groin only to have him deftly move his legs inside of hers, forcing her to half sit upon his thighs.

"Well, well, isn't this a sultry reunion?" he said in a husky voice. "Oh please, do scream, I'm looking for an excuse to use to kiss you." He said with a smirk. The air Narlafayn had been inhaling to scream left her lungs in a great whoosh, and she returned to struggling.

"I told you I'd kill you when I saw you again and I meant it!" she snapped, trying to hit him this time. He caught and pinned both arms against the wall roughly. She winced as the rough stone scraped her knuckles.

"And how I've looked forward to it." He grinned. She turned her head as he tried to kiss her, and he finally frowned. "You've found someone else, haven't you?" he asked, his brow knitting together.

"As if that's any of your business!" she hissed, glaring at him but not facing him for fear he'd try to kiss her again. Deathswalker stared at her without expression for a moment before lowering his head to her neck. He began to bite it gently and kiss what was exposed above the collar of her shirt as he transferred both of her hands to his one and ran a hand up her thigh. Narlafayn shivered despite her disgust, and tried to keep her head. She hated this man, but there were just some places that, if touched right, made her weak. "Deathswalker, I have no affection left for you, stop this now, this is rape." She said in an even voice, trying to squirm away from his touch.

"But your lack of love and the fact that you have someone else is what makes it sexier." He whispered into her ear huskily, his hand finding her buttocks and pressing her closer to his groin. He licked the edge of her ear as he continued, "When you give that final shuddering orgasm, biting your lip in fear that your loved one would hear your moans…" Narlafayn whimpered despite herself, out of fear and pleasure that this man was forcing out of her.

"I have good ears; I'd probably hear your pants drop way before then." Terebel's voice came. Narlafayn's eyes snapped open as Deathswalker glanced over his shoulder. Terebel grabbed Deathswalker by the back of the short brown jacket of the armor and pulled him away from Narlafayn, who fell to the ground awkwardly. With an angry growl he flung the other Dark Elf across the Warehouse, where he slammed into the counter. He was on him in a second, one arm pressed against Deathswalker's throat while the other held the point of one of his swords close to his face.

"Bravo Narla, I didn't think you'd be foolish enough to bed another Dark Elf after me." Deathswalker said in amusement, ignoring the sword and angry Terebel in front of him. Terebel growled and shoved his arm harder into Deathswalker's neck, causing the other Elf's head to slam into the bars. "Chill out man, why don't we share her if you're so uptight?"

"Share me?" Narlafayn choked, her eyes large with shock. "SHARE me? Like I'm some sort of toy?" She drew her sword and advanced upon the two. "Back off Terebel, I'll kill him myself."

"If you get anything in this warehouse bloody, you'll pay for it plus interest!" the Warehouse freightman tittered nervously.

"Share Narlafayn with you? My that's big of you, but I don't share my lovers with anyone." Terebel growled, ignoring both the Freightman and Narlafayn. "In fact, I'm rather possessive of them, as I only keep one at a time, so if you don't mind, kindly keep your hands off of her." Now it was Deathswalker's turn to stare in shock, not believing what he had just heard Terebel say.

"Don't share? What's wrong with you?" he swallowed, his own eyes large. Knowing crossed his face a moment later and his disbelief melted into the same cocky smirk. "Ah, I get it now. You're a mud cock, aren't you? An impure one?" Terebel let up on the pressure he applied to Deathswalker's neck for a moment, caught unaware by the insults he didn't expect to ever hear directed at him.

"His cock isn't muddy!" Narlafayn snapped, not fully understanding what Deathswalker was saying, but trying to jump to Terebel's rescue anyway.

"Narla, please." Terebel said in a low voice, his teeth clenched. Deathswalker laughed, loud and amused, raising one hand to rub his forehead despite the chokehold Terebel still had him in.

"So one of our women or men wasn't good enough for their own kind, huh? So what are you, part human?" he inspected Terebel's features for a moment. "No, your ears are still just as long as ours…" a grin broke out on his face next, "Oh, I get it, you're part Light Elf! A corn dick from the very beginning!" he laughed heartily with this, laughter which continued until Terebel let out a beast-like growl and slammed Deathswalker against the bars, his laughter cutting off in a choke. "Go ahead, kill me, I know you want to." He smirked, his face turning purple.

Terebel began to tremble as a rage he hadn't felt for a long time filled his body. He raised his sword, his face dark. There was a moment's pause, and Deathswalker's cocky smile faded as something different than anger began to emanate from Terebel's body, something frightening even to him, a murdering assassin. A hand caught Terebel's arm before he could drive his sword through Deathswalker's head, and pulled the two apart.

"Woah now, save the killing for the battlefield. Don't want to spoil your appetite, hmm?" Vlad said lightly despite flinging Terebel across the Warehouse with all of his strength. Deathswalker slowly pushed himself to his feet, one hand as his throat, staring at Terebel with fear. "And you, awful kind of you to pay for Narly's fee, but I'm sure everyone is with me when I say this…" He smoothly drew back an arm and clipped Deathswalker across the jaw, sending the Dark Elf into the counter again, his mouth gushing blood. He stood over him as he slid to the ground, cracking his knuckles. "I don't condone rape, not in any shape size or form." Vlad said, matter-of-fact, as Emixia crouched to the ground behind him, and helped Terebel to his feet. He turned around with a smile to Narlafayn and flung an arm over her shoulders.

"How long have you been here?" she asked, staring at him with ever-large eyes. Terebel seemed to be in a daze after his burst of anger, and Emixia helped him walk out of the Warehouse with one arm over her shoulders. Vlad stuck out his jaw and tapped his chin in thought.

"Since you came running in, about." He answered cheerfully. Narlafayn stopped walking, her mouth agape. "I've been wanting to talk to you about something; since we're going into battle, I figured I'd give you one of my empty bottles…just in case you get injured, y'know?"

"You were standing there all this time? You could've stopped him from…taking me in the corner?" she hesitated over her choice of words, her face red from embarrassment, ignoring his start to a request for a vial of her blood. Vlad looked at her in surprise, then shrugged and motioned for them to keep moving.

"I thought he was a friend of yours, you do have this habit of befriending Dark Elves." Vlad stated logically. "Besides, our gallant hero came in and saved the day, and I'm sure that appeals to you more than scruffy old me." They passed through the archway back into the side street lined with merchants. "It's said and done now, let's focus on the near future. Shall we make our way to Innadril now after our wayward leader? I hear he went on ahead of us, let's not dawdle here any longer!"

The aforementioned 'wayward leader' at that time found himself uncomfortable in wet armor, trudging through a very humid, gilded labyrinth. He and Shizuka had finally arrived at the Garden of Eva, but yet she still had not told him of the reason for their impromptu journey. Now it was less than a week until his siege, and he was stuck in this watery relic of the gods.

"Shizuka, although I'm enjoying the sight of you wet in white clothing, we really need to be getting back to Heine." Ryonai said wearily. He was completely worn out; his energy had been spent several times since they emerged inside of the Garden. Although now twenty-one, Ryonai was still plagued with youthful hormones, and he found it hard to resist Shizuka in wet, white robes. They'd taken several 'breaks' along the way, needless to say. Shizuka was still as perky and full of energy as always, but Ryonai wanted nothing more than to find a quiet place and sleep.

"We're almost there, don't give up yet! Fight on!" Shizuka said enthusiastically with a giggle. Ryonai sighed heavily, feeling more tired than ever.

"Are you stealing all of my energy somehow?" he asked wearily, placing a hand against the marble wall and leaning on it. Shizuka's smile faded quickly and she shook her head with eyes large.

"Why would I do that? I've got plenty of my own!" Shizuka exclaimed, grin returning.

"Let me borrow some of it, would ya?" he said weakly. Shizuka only giggled and took his hand, leading him through an archway and into the center of the Garden.

A Doll Master, a floating undead creature with a wooden skeletal head and a long cloak that it held up around it's face attacked them almost the instant their feet touched the shallow water. It drew backwards slightly and opened its arms to reveal a rotted corpse dangling from marionette strings attached somewhere to its wooden body. The corpse had its feet and hands removed and knives shoved into the stumps, which it waved at the pair. Ryonai raised his shield to deflect them while Shizuka cast a holy spell. The creature howled in pain as its body flaked away in the burst of light her spell summoned. Its robe fell into the water when the light faded, the Doll Master no more.

"This way!" Shizuka said, pulling Ryonai away from the floating robe and towards a raised archway a few feet away from them. Inside was a ramp leading down, and a waterfall 'door', much like the ones that would block the archways at random intervals in the labyrinth, began to flow after they passed the door, blocking them in.

"Here we are!" Shizuka said happily as they followed the ramp down into a large square room. Ryonai had heard of the basement in the Garden of Eva, but had never seen it himself before now, as the doorway leading to it was always blocked with water. He glanced at Shizuka and wondered how she knew the doorway would be open now. Ryonai looked around the room as Shizuka spread her arms, presenting it to him. It was cold and gray in the room, and blue water glistened as it ran down the walls to collect in a shallow trench running around the sides of the room. Ryonai expected to see something impressive by how excited she'd been to get there, but all he faced was an empty stone room devoid of everything except the sound of running water.

"Shizuka…you dragged me away from Heine so close to siege time…to show me a room?" Ryonai asked in irritation. Shizuka's smile faded and her eyes filled with tears.

"Not a room, I brought you to a dragon to help get the castle with." She said, her voice cracking with tears. Ryonai lowered his head which had suddenly begun to throb and put a hand to his temple.

"Shizuka…every other day I find you absolutely adorable but now…of all times…" he began, trying to control his temper. Of all times for her random bouts of childishness…why did it have to be now? "This is an empty room; surely you can't expect me to play pretend at a time like this…"

"But he's right there!" she insisted, pouting. Ryonai glanced up at her as she pointed behind him, and spun as he suddenly felt a presence there.

Looking at them with expressionless curiosity was an ocean blue haired man with pale sky blue skin and blue eyes slit like a snakes. His hair was bang-less and straight, and Ryonai had the wild thought that it looked just like the waterfall flowing over the doorway, keeping them in the basement. Ryonai sighed heavily again and put his hand back to his forehead.

"Shizuka that is a gay man, not a dragon." He said. Shizuka's sadness was suddenly gone and she snickered at his words, clamping a hand over her mouth as if embarrassed that she'd laughed.

"I beg your pardon?" the blue man said as he walked around the pair, towards the center of the room. "If I were in any less of the good humor I am now, I would've drowned you for that." His voice was smooth, and gave one the feeling of an undisturbed pool of water.

"I'm sorry we disturbed you, my girlfriend had this wild idea that you were a dragon." Ryonai apologized with a laugh, putting his arm around Shizuka. The blue man regarded him for a moment with raised eyebrows before glancing at Shizuka.

"Of course her ideas are wild, it would be shameful if they weren't." the blue man said with a curt smile.

"Oh you." Shizuka giggled, putting a hand to her chin and blushing. Ryonai blinked in confusion and looked between the two.

"Do you know him?" he asked, jealousy firing to life without prompt in his voice. Shizuka only giggled and stood on tip-toe to kiss his nose.

"Fine then, I sought to drive you from my home in a civilized manner, but I see that it's not working." The man said. Ryonai jumped back with a cry of fear as the man, in a blink of an eye, elongated and changed shape. Where a blue man once stood now crouched a blue dragon with webbed, clawed feet and a strange webbed fish tail instead of the classic dragon type one.

"See? I told you he was a dragon!" Shizuka said happily, not phased in the least bit by his sudden transformation. Ryonai on the other hand, had to struggle to not loose control of his bladder. Suddenly being confronted with one of the children of Shilen would send even the bravest of men into fits of hysteria. Ryonai figured Shizuka was too air-headed to realize this, thus her happiness at the whole situation.

"Um, sorry we disturbed you, we'll be going now." Ryonai said quickly, standing as fast as he could and grabbing Shizuka's arm to race towards the door.

"But we didn't do what we came here for!" Shizuka whined, planting her feet on the smooth stone floor to resist his pulling. She jerked out of his grip with surprising strength, and turned back to the dragon.

"Fafurion, Ryonai came here to ask you to help win Innadril castle. You won't have to do much, and with him as Lord, he'll make sure nobody bothers you again down here!" she said brightly, walking up to him without fear.

"Shizuka, get back here!" Ryonai hissed. "Wait, how do you know he's Fafurion?" he asked next, quirking an eyebrow.

"Who else would it be?" she answered with a smile. "Fafurion is a water dragon and this guy looks really watery!" Fafurion began to laugh suddenly, shaking the entire room and showering them with dust from the ceiling. Ryonai darted forward and snatched Shizuka's hand to back away from him.

"Help win a human siege? Girl, who do you think I am, Aulakiria?" Fafurion roared with laughter, swishing his tail back and forth with his mirth. All ditzy demeanor left Shizuka for the second time that month, and she took on an expression of dark seriousness. Fafurion's laughter diminished as she stared at him, and he shifted as if suddenly uncomfortable. "Get out of my sight human and elf, I wish to return to slumber." He finally said, turning away from them. The room rumbled with each step he took, and Ryonai had to pull Shizuka back lest the dragon's tail catch her and fling her across the room as he shifted.

"Let's get going Shizuka, I appreciate what you were trying to do, but this isn't natural." Ryonai said, swallowing hard. It touched him that Shizuka was willing to bargain with a creature of the ancient times for his benefit, but some dreams were just not meant for reality. The familiar attitude she had with the dragon confused him, but getting back to Heine was his first priority now, he'd question Shizuka about it later.

The serious expression left Shizuka's face as she looked at Ryonai, disappointment replacing it. Her lower lip trembled as tears welled up in her eyes and she latched onto Ryonai's arm in a hug.

"I'm sorry, I thought I was helping!" she sniffled, tears dripping out of her eyes and onto his armor. Ryonai gave her a sad smile and patted her on the head before dislodging his arm.

"It's ok, really. You're still the best girl I could ever have." He said with a smile, and pecked her lips quickly. "Lets go back, the others might be waiting for us in Heine by now." He squeezed her arm once before turning and ascending the ramp. Shizuka watched him walk with a happy smile before sighing and starting after him.

"So is he one of them?" Fafurion's voice suddenly came. Shizuka paused and looked over her shoulder at the dragon. He faced the corner and had his head to the floor as if he were speaking to someone previously unseen there. Shizuka's ditzy grin turned into a smirk and she turned her back on the dragon.

"No, he is a distraction." A grating whisper answered Fafurion as soon as Shizuka was no longer in the room. The dragon sighed heavily and shivered, his scales suddenly falling off of his body in a shower. They disappeared into the floor as if the stone were suddenly water, causing ripples as they passed below the stones surface. The blue man stood where the dragon once crouched, and turned to stare at the doorway without expression. He'd learned his lesson many years ago about the true strength of mortals when their very existence was threatened. He wanted nothing more than to return to slumber, but he knew that now, it would be a long time before he could.


	11. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_In which there is a mistaken identity and a prelude of things to come_

Bright sunlight poured through the window of the small room Ferrol had rented out, hitting Sharmin fully in the face and rousing her from slumber. She groaned lightly and rolled over, making an unhappy face at the bright light hurting her eyes even through shut eyelids. She sighed deeply in relief and attempted to drift back off to sleep only to have the door to the tiny apartment flung open as a jovial Ferrol jaunted in.

"Good morning Sharmin!" he exclaimed, beaming as brightly as the sunlight pouring in. Sharmin opened one eye to look at him, mildly annoyed by his cheerfulness. "Come on, get up sleepy head! We've been here nearly a week, we should get moving!" he said, clapping his hands to accentuate his words.

"What does being here a week have to do with anything?" Sharmin asked, irritated. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, and leaned her hands heavily on the side as if it was difficult to keep herself sitting upright.

"Ah, no protesting! We need to get moving today so get your things packed up!" he said as he breezed around the room packing his own bag with books and clothes. Sharmin's brow knitted and she frowned at him. He was being awfully…bossy today, it was very unlike the easygoing demeanor he usually had.

"Who died and made you my father?" she retorted, standing. The stack of books piled precariously in his arms tumbled to the floor with her question and he stared at her in shock. Sharmin blinked in surprise as she watched his face melt into a hurt expression before he hastily turned away from her.

"I apologize. Please take your time and prepare as you need." He said in a low voice, rushing from the room before Sharmin could apologize. Her shoulders slumped as she stared at the door, unsure of what had just transpired. Sighing heavily, she stripped out of her nightgown and put on the brand new armor set that Ferrol had presented to her. As a welcome home present he had purchased her an entire Avadon armor set, a beautiful white armor decorated in silver swirling designs. It left her midsection bare, but the short skirt covered her legs better than her previous Chain Mail set ever had. She smiled as she stared down at it once assembled to her body, feeling very much like a Paladin for the first time in her life. After packing up the rest of her belongings she secured her shield to her back and hefted her bag over her shoulder. Taking one last look at the room she'd shared with Ferrol for a week she took a breath and exited into the grand city of Aden.

Fear of seeing people she knew had prevented Sharmin from leaving the room while they stayed in the rentable apartment complex for travelers, so she hadn't seen much of the city yet. Now late morning, the sunlight bounced off of the white stone almost blinding her with its intensity. A few richly dressed people strolled about the outer square of the city, where the housing complexes were, talking of politics and the weather.

A feeling of sadness jolted through Sharmin as she walked through the city. She'd been born here, to a mother and father whom were dead now. All around her were happy people, but Sharmin felt more alone inside than ever before. Taking a breath she tried to drive such depressing thoughts from her mind. Wondering where it was Ferrol had dashed off to; she turned towards the staircase leading up to the raised market section of the city, the heart of Aden.

"Dierdre?" a voice gasped in shock. Sharmin paused and looked over her shoulder to find an aged priestess staring at her. Her face was pale, as if she was looking at a ghost. Sharmin frowned, as this was the second time someone had mistaken her for Ferrol's dead lover. "My god it's you!" the woman exclaimed, taking Sharmin's hand and clasping it. "I knew he hadn't killed you! You just ran off to live with him, didn't you? You always were such a feisty little thing Dierdre!" the woman chided, tears welling in her eyes.

"But I'm not…" Sharmin began, feeling guilty even though it was the woman's mistake in identity, not hers.

"Come, all of the others are still at the church! They'll be elated to see you!" the woman said, dragging Sharmin up the stairs and towards the massive church doors. Sharmin's eyes nearly popped out of her head at the sight of the large white stone structure; never before had she seen something so grand. So this was the great church of the Einhasad religion, the very place that tried to separate two lovers some odd amount of years ago. Remembering this, she felt sick inside, and suddenly didn't want to go in, but the woman couldn't listen to her as she tried to politely correct her, babbling away about church gossip as she pulled Sharmin through the massive interior.

"Bishop! Bishop look who's come home!" the woman exclaimed almost hysterically, waving at the head priest to get his attention. "Look, it's Dierdre! I knew she hadn't died!" She stepped aside to present Sharmin, who shifted in embarrassment as the head priest stared at her in a similar manner that the woman had moments earlier. All of the priests and priestesses gathered around the head priest seemed to be dumbstruck, and Sharmin began to feel like a spectacle. A wave of sound hit Sharmin in the next second as all of the priests and priestesses gathered around her, faces shining and happy, shaking her hand and bombarding her with questions. She glanced between them all with large eyes, wondering what kind of person Dierdre had been for them all to be in such denial about her death.

"What's with all of the commotion?" Koyori asked in irritation as she and Gatz entered the church. She'd come in to learn some new spells and hadn't expected to see her teacher babbling in excitement at the edge of a crowd gathered around something indiscernible from where they stood. "Well crap." Koyori swore bitterly, putting her hands on her hips. "Looks like I've gotta pry old Brentwood out of the crowd to get anywhere. C'mon Gatz." She grabbed the sleeve of Gatz's Zubei armor under tunic and toted him behind her as she pushed her way through the crowd of baffled parishioners.

Sharmin struggled against the barrage of petting hands, all touching her as if she were some sort of exotic pet they'd never seen before. A hand grabbed hers and pulled her free of the crowd to stand next to the head bishop. She found herself looking into the face of a distinguished looking light elf, his blonde hair slicked back away from his face.

"I sincerely apologize on behalf of everyone in this church today, girl." The Light Elf Summoner, known as Radyss, apologized elegantly. "It pains me to see that our people have become so infatuated with supernatural fairy tales that they mistaken someone with a likeness to an old friend and refuse to believe otherwise." The crowd gathered around suddenly shifted uneasily, as if a spell had faded from them leaving them embarrassed and ashamed of their behavior. His ego inflating with the fact that he was besting the priests and priestesses, Radyss puffed out his chest and put a hand on Sharmin's shoulder guard. "How shameful you've all become, can you not see that this girl is younger than Dierdre would be now if she were still alive? You owe this traveler an apology!"

"If you know what is good for your Magic Guild, you will silence yourself immediately Summoner Radyss." The head priest said. He stared out over the crowd in the church with hard eyes, his face red and body trembling. He glanced down at Sharmin with a look belying on hatred. "And you girl, with your face that resembles one lost to us, you should be apologizing to us for stepping foot in Aden to begin with!"

"What?" Sharmin breathed in disbelief. Apologize for resembling someone? How corrupt had the church become in the time she was gone?

"She does not owe you an apology at all head priest, she's with me." Ferrol's clear voice rang from behind the crowd. They parted with gasps of shock, their faces paling once again as he strolled bravely forward. The trembling became more pronounced in the head priest's body as Ferrol approached them and he began to sputter.

"You…you desecrate Einhasad's holy presence with your corrupted one? You are wanted for high treason Ferrol Kuhn, I shall have you arrested!" the head priest stuttered, his hand trembling as he pointed at Ferrol.

"Simply hand over my daughter now as you failed to do twenty years ago and we'll be on our way. My presence will not sully your corrupt doorstep again." Ferrol stated darkly. Sharmin stared at Ferrol with large eyes, a cold weight landing in the pit of her stomach. The head priest turned to look at Sharmin with fear now, and then glanced back at Ferrol.

"Impossible, life does not work such miracles unassisted. You sold your soul to a devil, didn't you?" the priest said in a strained voice.

"Life rewards those who work hard for something they truly want, Bishop, I assure you my soul is still my own." Ferrol said evenly, holding his hand out to Sharmin. Shocked by what she'd heard, Sharmin complied automatically, feeling disconnected from the world. If someone had told her to pirouette around the square with a duck on her head, she was positive she would've done so, with how detached and incapable of thinking for herself that she was at that moment. He snatched her hand as she offered it, and pulled her quickly through the church towards the door.

"Oh my god, is that…?" Koyori asked, her eyes large as Ferrol passed by them. Time seemed to slow as Sharmin was hurried past, and Gatz's heart nearly stopped dead in his chest. Without thought he took a step after them. "Where are you going?" Koyori asked sharply, bringing him out of his shock. "There's no way that was her, it was probably just someone who resembled her. Lets get my spells and then head to Heine; we're late enough as it is." She said, latching onto his arm. Gatz turned to glare at her, hating how she always tried to deter him when the subject of Sharmin came up. She wouldn't even refer to her by name now, calling her either 'that girl' or 'Komugi's sister'.

"What…what did you mean in there?" Sharmin stuttered nervously as Ferrol pulled her out of the church and through the square towards their rented room. "Ferrol, what did you mean in there?" Sharmin snapped this time, planting her feet and pulling her arm from his grip, stopping them both. He took a few even breaths as if composing himself, his back still facing her.

"It was the only way I could save you from public humiliation; I apologize for bringing you into my personal affairs." Ferrol said in an even voice. He glanced over his shoulder at her with a sad smile on his face. "After all, my daughter is probably far away from me still, living peacefully with her own family by now, so please don't be humiliated by the lie I've told them." He seemed to compose himself in the next moment, and interrupted Sharmin as she began to tell him she wasn't humiliated, but confused. "We'd best be off for real now, shall we go get our things?" he offered, his polite air firmly in place. Sharmin frowned and studied him skeptically for a moment before sighing and nodding her head, forcing a smile upon her face to match his.

"SHARMIN!" someone shouted just as she took a step. She spun quickly, shocked by the force the voice held. Her heart began to pound in fear and anxiety as Gatz stood across the square at the bottom of the staircase leading up to the church, panting as if he had dashed after them in a great hurry. Sharmin's lips parted slightly and she took a step backwards, fear filling her to the brim. She wasn't ready to see anyone again…not yet, not like this.

Gatz raced across the square as she turned to bolt and reached her before she could take even five steps. He crushed her against his chest in a hug, the force of the sudden stop bringing both of them painfully to their knees. She stared into the air in shock, her entire body trembling as he held her.

"You're real…! Oh god you're real!" he said, his voice choked with unshed tears. He squeezed her tighter; as if afraid she'd disappear if he didn't. "Sharmin…" he sobbed, and Sharmin's heart squeezed as she felt hot tears slide from his eyes and down her neck as he buried his face against it. He slid a hand up her back to cup the back of her neck and raised a tear-streaked, reddened face to look at her. Strands of his nearly shoulder-length blonde hair fell over his face, helping obscure it from view of others. He did not try to hide the fact that he was crying in his expression, and sobbed openly as he raised his other hand to cup her cheek. "You haven't changed." he said. Sharmin's lips parted slightly as she felt hot tears prick her own eyes. She'd forgotten in the week they'd stayed in Aden that two years had passed for them. Now here, facing Gatz, she realized her worst fears were true. Gatz looked older now, his shoulders wide and muscles developed from years of wielding a spear. He used to be not much bigger in frame than herself, but not any longer.

"I'm sorry." She said mournfully, tears falling. A long scar adorned Gatz's face now, starting at his right nostril and extending diagonally across his lips and ending at his chin. It hurt Sharmin's heart to see even this tiny cosmetic change in someone close to her. Gatz's eyes widened as she began to cry as well, and he brought his other hand around to cup her other cheek.

"No, please don't cry, please." He pleaded, wiping her tears with his thumbs. "Oh please Sharmin, I don't know what to do when you cry, I never have." His voice cracked with new tears as he spoke, and he held her close again. Such a pitiful couple they made, people thought as they passed by, a seasoned Warlord and a Paladin sobbing while clinging to one another.

When their crying had stilled, Gatz pulled away from her enough to look into her eyes again. Her heart began to throb for a different reason now, and she was stricken with the urge to suddenly kiss him. He seemed to have the same feeling, as slowly, hesitantly lowered his mouth towards hers. Her breath caught in her throat, and her hands clenched on top of his breastplate_. I do still love Leon, don't I?_ she thought, the unmuddled part of her mind questioning the feelings she was suddenly experiencing.

"Gatz, what are you doing?" Koyori's voice came, startling the two apart. Gatz cleared his throat and stood, helping Sharmin stand as he went. He sniffled loudly and wiped at his face with his arm, as if he were mopping up sweat and not lingering tears. Koyori froze mid-step and stared at Sharmin with bulging eyes, the color fading from her face. "So it was you." She sneered. All intense emotions from before now faded, Sharmin blinked at her curiously, confused by the animosity her voice held.

"Sharmin, you remember Koyori…?" Gatz attempted at a feeble introduction. Koyori let out an indignant snort when Sharmin glanced at him, pulling her attention away.

"Of course she remembers me." Koyori said icily. "I see you're back from whatever undead zone you got pulled to. They couldn't stand you either then, I take it?"

"Koyori!" Gatz exclaimed, shocked by her attitude. She glanced at him through lowered eyelids, and then continued to glare indignantly at Sharmin.

"I'm not sure what I've done to garner such hatred from you Koyori, but I'm glad to see you're alive and well." Sharmin said nervously, offering her a smile.

"I'm sure you are." Koyori sneered. "Oh, and just so you don't get any big ideas…" Koyori pushed between Sharmin and Gatz, and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her and planting a possessive, passionate kiss on his lips. Gatz's face instantly turned red and he tried to pull away, but Koyori had him pinned. She pulled away to give Sharmin a smirk of satisfaction and wipe daintily at the corner of her mouth. "Gatz has been MY boyfriend for the past three years. We're practically married you know, so don't think that just because you're back, you can prance in and come between us."

"Koyori, you're crossing the line…" Gatz warned, his temper alive.

"You have no opinion in this conversation." Koyori sniffed, ignoring him.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Sharmin said in disbelief, feeling the sting of her own temper for her treatment of Gatz. How dare this little bimbo enemy of Komugi's try to start a fight with her after they hadn't seen each other for so long? Not wanting to let her attitude rule the conversation, Sharmin thought quickly to how Komugi would react in a situation like this. "Seeing as I haven't been back very long, you can be assured that relationships are the farthest thing from my mind as I like to live on my own two feet, not as a blood sucking leech attached to men's genitalia." Koyori let out a noise of anger and stamped her booted foot onto the ground, shocked by her comeback. "Gatz, it was a pleasure seeing you again, and I would've liked to have talked with you more, but since it seems I'm not wanted, I shall be going." She gave Gatz a curt smile and then turned on heel. Ferrol had long since gone on ahead, and Sharmin rushed to catch up to him.

"You're absolutely right, nobody wants you!" Koyori shouted after her. "Go get bent by a Silenos you dried up whore!" Her angry retort was silenced as Gatz finally had enough and slapped her across her face. Not hard enough to bruise, but enough to silence her. She lifted a hand to her cheek and stared at him in shock.

"One thing you NEVER seemed to get into your tiny pea brain, Koyori, is that I am NOT YOUR PROPERTY." Gatz snarled, years of frustration at being treated as her accessory of fame finally coming to a head and bursting. Her mouth parted in shock with his words, and for once, words did not come. Narlafayn's advice to him from years prior that he would know the true direction of his heart when he'd see Sharmin again finally made sense. He felt strangely liberated suddenly, and free of a heavy weight he'd never known was there. Without another word (as they'd gained quite the crowd of gawkers), Gatz turned to follow after Sharmin, leaving a bewildered Koyori standing in the middle of the square.

"You can't be serious! You can't be breaking up with me over this!" she shouted hysterically, gaining more onlookers. Gatz paused in walking, feeling a pang of guilt at the undertone of sadness in her voice. He took a steeling breath, and then continued, not answering her with even a shrug. She began to scream his name and to curse at him as he walked out of sight, but Gatz refused to look behind himself, focusing only on the houses ahead of him.

Sharmin's head spun as she hurried down the cobbled stone street towards the rented apartment. Things had just happened so quickly back there she struggled to get her head around it. First the church and being mistaken for Dierdre for a second time, then Ferrol calling her his daughter when she'd already had uncomfortable thoughts on if it were possible. Now seeing Gatz again and nearly forgetting her feelings for Leon and almost kissing him so quickly upon being reunited…

She stopped dead in her tracks, her blood running cold. Two years for Leon as well…would he still be the same Leon that she knew and loved? Would he have found someone? Shaking her head firmly, she fumbled with the doorknob and entered the apartment.

"Ferrol, I'm sorry I got held up back…there…" Sharmin's voice trailed off as an empty apartment greeted her. Lying on Ferrol's bed was a small brown leather pouch and a note pinned on top of it. "Ferrol?" Sharmin asked the still air in a small voice. She sat down heavily on his bed and extracted the note from the pouch to read it.

Dearest Sharmin_,_ it read;

I am terribly sorry for the uncaring way I have left you like this without a goodbye, but with the current circumstances with the church, this is best. My promise still holds true, and should that lad not accept you as you are, travel to Hardin's Academy and tell them that you are with me. Hardin always knows where his students are, and we will be reunited in an instant. However, if things go well, then I pray when we meet again it will be as pleasant of a reunion as it was a week ago. Sincerely, Ferrol

"You jerk!" Sharmin hissed, balling up the paper and throwing it towards the door. It bounced off Gatz's forehead as he entered, and he blinked in surprise.

"I'm sorry…I didn't know I was disturbing you." He said, ducking out as quickly as he entered. Sharmin's face turned red and she jumped up to grab the door before he shut it.

"No, I wasn't throwing it at you, just in your direction!" she tried to explain quickly. Gatz stared at her blankly and Sharmin suddenly felt very stupid. "I mean…it was just…" She let her apology die before it could properly be born and let her head fall against the doorframe. "Where am I supposed to go now? Ferrol you're a big fat liar and a jerk." Sharmin muttered.

"Who's Ferrol?" Gatz asked with more force than he intended. Sharmin lifted her head in surprise, noticing it.

"A Necromancer who helped Leon and I once in Death Pass." She said slowly, watching as his cheek twitched for some unknown reason. "He was the first person I saw upon arriving back here, but now he's gone and left me kind of lost for no reason I can see…" she sighed heavily and leaned her head back on the doorframe. "I don't even know where Komugi is…"

"Probably on her way to Heine." Gatz said, motioning for her to join him outside. "Ko…" his voice drifted off for a moment and then he took a breath, "Koyori and I were on our way there ourselves. Ryonai's expanded his clan and gotten an alliance together large enough to siege Innadril castle. Komugi joined Haibane not long after…after you…"

"Disappeared?" she offered with a feeble smile, trying to help relieve his sudden discomfort. He acted as if he were walking on glass around her, as if he were afraid she would cry again. Sharmin knew more time had passed between them seeing each other for him than it had for her, but she wanted to try and show him she was still the same Sharmin as ever.

"Yeah…" he agreed with a nervous laugh. "Ryonai requested that all of his clan be present in Heine for the siege, so you should come along too! You'll get to see everyone again, and Komugi." His voice was tinged with an excitement that reminded Sharmin of a boy on Grand Saint's Day. Sharmin paused and looked down at her feet in discomfort. "What is it?" Gatz asked, instantly worried. What did he say? Was she going to cry again?

"Gatz…how long has it been since we've seen each other?" Sharmin asked in a muted voice. "I…can't remember." Gatz tilted his head at her, puzzled, as he counted the months.

"A little over two years, why?" he responded easily. He clenched his jaw as he remembered their last meeting outside of Oren, his anger at Montavious still very fresh.

"I guess he didn't lie." Sharmin murmured to herself, looking down at the ground. She took a deep breath and raised her head to face Gatz. "The place where I was sent…was much different than here. How much different I didn't know until I came back." She swallowed as Gatz listened patiently; worried that he would laugh at her when she told him. "Only two months have passed for me since I…disappeared. I'm still eighteen years old; I'm still…just plain old Sharmin." Gatz's face went slack as she looked at him uneasily, and his mouth dropped open slightly. He glanced away from her as she watched him expectantly for a reaction and cleared his throat.

"That's a relief actually; it means I haven't missed much." Gatz said on a breath of nervous air. Sharmin looked up at him in surprise, her eyes large. He beamed at her with the same boyish grin she remembered clearly from their days back in Cedric's school. "I thought you were going to tell me something awful, like you'd destroyed a nation or something." He smiled. It dropped a second later and he held up his hands and waved them slightly, trying to erase what he'd just said from the air. "I mean, I know it's awful for you, having missed out on two years but…" he let his hands drop heavily to his sides, and gave her a desperate look. Sharmin lifted a hand to her mouth and giggled, earning a look of surprise from him again.

"I'm relieved too, you look different on the outside, but you're still Gatz Windawood on the inside." She said, lowering her hand to grin at him. Gatz jerked away from her a little, his face red with a blush. His heart thudded once, very hard, just as it had the first time he'd seen her smile outside the grocer's on Talking Island. His hand twitched as his body reacted to the sudden wish of caressing her cheek, but the angry face of Koyori suddenly flashed through his mind, and he let his arm relax again.

"Excuse me, but did you say siege on Innadril?" a new voice came. Both Gatz and Sharmin glanced up to find a Dark Elf woman with deep, navy blue hair pulled up into a ponytail and eyes the color of red wine standing next to Sharmin. She wore rusty red salamander skin armor, the gaiters nothing more than a thong with garter belts attached to a series of belts that wrapped around her legs and disappeared under her thigh boots. Two wefts of hair fell around her face, framing it. She was the picture of a dangerous beauty, although, and most noticeable to Gatz, she lacked the oversized assets that most Dark Elf women were known to have.

"Um…yes?" Sharmin answered uneasily. This woman was very tall, almost Amazonian compared to even her height. Strapped to her back was a bow stained black in a gnarled elfin design and a quiver of arrows. She was very pretty, and she carried an air of maturity that left Sharmin feeling childish just for the way she breathed.

"Great! My name is Tithania; an old friend of mine requested my presence there. He said there was some trouble with his clan and they need the extra help." She said with a friendly smile. By habit, Sharmin usually steered clear of Dark Elves, especially after spending over a year with Vuylay, but this woman had a very likable aura.

"Gatz." Koyori's voice came. It was raspy and weary, as if she'd been crying. She stood several feet away from them, her arms folded across her chest with an aloof expression on her face. "We should really get going, Ryonai might start battle planning without us."

"We're bringing Sharmin." He said quickly, body tensing as he waited for her to retort nastily. None came however, and she shrugged lightly instead.

"Do what you want; we just need to keep our promise." Koyori said blandly, turning and retreating back into the city's center.

"Is she alright?" Sharmin asked Gatz in a hushed voice. Gatz stared hard into the distance, his jaw clenched again. Guilt was very plain to see in his expression, and he struggled hard against some internal war of emotions that Sharmin couldn't begin to understand.

"Yeah, she's fine. We just had a little bit of an argument." Gatz said lightly, forcing a smile on his face. "Shall we be moving then?" he started off first, and Sharmin had to walk fast to keep up with him.

"I…didn't know you guys were dating when I saw you last." Sharmin said hesitantly. The last time she'd seen him was after she'd been...attacked in the forest north of Oren. They hadn't spoken much then, but Gatz looked so distraught she wondered if he had known what had happened to her.

"We've been together mostly for the companionship, I never consented to the formal relationship of which she speaks." Gatz said, his voice hard. "I really don't want to talk about this with you." Sharmin stumbled as she walked, taken aback by his words. Gatz paused and looked at her, his mouth parted slightly, shocked at what he'd just said. "I didn't mean that, I'm just…"

"Are we taking the Gatekeeper?" Tithania interrupted to Gatz's gratitude. Too many emotions were swirling inside of him at this moment, and as much as he wanted to talk with Sharmin, he needed some time to himself to get his head around things.

"That'd probably be best, yeah." Sharmin answered with a nervous smile.

"Great!" Tithania said, echoing it with a genuine one. "I absolutely LOATHE traveling in this heat. I begin to sweat like a beast in this armor and I don't know about you, but I really hate the feeling of sweat dripping down my cleavage." Both Gatz and Sharmin's eyes dotted with this, and she pulled her leather chest armor out a bit to fan it with her hand in emphasis.

"On to Heine!" Gatz exclaimed, trying to change the subject from Tithania's cleavage before he thought about it too much. The pair rushed towards the Gatekeeper with Dark Elf close behind them. She was confused, had she said something wrong?

Far to the north where the snow still laid thick on the ground, a Light Elf just showing the signs of age knelt in front of a small shrine devoted to his cardinal goddess Eva within the church of Einhasad in Schuttgart. He had his hands crossed over his chest in reverence, and his mouth moved as he mouthed his prayer. His name was Ballard Felagund; he was the father of Terebel, the grandfather of Lavinia, Calisan, Cesa and Mune, and the great-grandfather of Waverly. He'd been sent to Schuttgart right after Cesa's marriage to Celleriant and had yet to meet his great-grandson, but duties there prevented him from even stepping foot outside of the church.

Ballard always told his family that he was sent away on mission trips to the north, but in actuality he was part of an ancient guild entrusted with the balance of the world. There were several branches, each of them set to guard the locations of the dragons, and then his branch, the main body. He and only six others were charged by the gods themselves to guard the seals upon the goddess Shilen herself. Every so often, people wishing to bring chaos to the world would nearly break one of three weaker seals upon Shilen, but he and his fellow guild mates would restore it before chaos befell the earth. Ballard was in charge of guarding the strongest of the three weaker seals; the seal of Gnosis.

Ballard's body jerked slightly as he was rewarded for his prayer with a vision. Although distorted as if gazing through water, he distinctly saw a dark figure swirling with flame. Only the figure's eyes and mouth were visible, both glowing with a demonic light as it grinned. In its hands it held a hammer, and swung it with ferocity, the earth shaking and breaking apart each time it landed.

The church rumbled with an earthquake as Ballard's eyes snapped open, and the Head Priest's hands shot out to support himself on the statue of Einhasad behind him. Not fazed by the shaking, Ballard calmly reached out and held the bowl of pure water he'd placed as an offering on Eva's shrine, to keep it from spilling. He stood as soon as it passed, his mouth set in a grim line.

"What did you see Ballard?" the priest asked in a small voice, only seeing the expression Ballard wore once before.

"I have a message." He began; leaning down to gather up his shrine and store it until he needed to pray to Eva again.

"And?" the priest prompted, steeling himself for the worst. Ballard sighed heavily and stood, wincing slightly as his back throbbed from strain. He looked over his shoulder at the priest, and gave him a defeated smile.

"I've brought the end to us all."


	12. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

_In which everyone meets again_

The day started as any other in Heine would. The day was bright and sunny, the air warm and humid with the scent of the ocean and exotic flowers riding upon the breeze. Zaren woke as he would any other day; he bathed, he took his breakfast of toast and creamed cheese in the inn's restaurant, and then took a short jog out to the gazebo overlooking Lake Innadril to do some exercises.

An Orc Tyrant by the name of Kallina had arrived several days prior for the siege with his old friend Valimos and his girlfriend and a sultry Shilen Elder whom introduced herself as Maeve. Kallina would accompany him on his morning jog and exercises, but the two hadn't spoken more than a good morning greeting the few days they'd been in each others acquaintance. Zaren never was one for eloquent conversations, preferring a smile or a helping hand over flowery speeches. The day seemed as if it were going to be the same as it always was Zaren decided, as he sat on the edge of the fountain in Heine's square around noon, watching the tourists as they passed by. That is, until the first arrival.

"Zaren, report!" Ryonai barked as he and Shizuka rushed down the stairs behind the Gatekeeper gazebo towards him. Zaren jumped to his feet in surprise, not expecting Ryonai back already.

"An Orc Tyrant, Bladedancer and Shilen Elder have been the only ones to arrive so far." Zaren said, his eyes large. He reached up and tugged on a lock of his slicked down red hair nervously; talking with Ryonai always left him feeling awkward.

"That would be Kallina…but Terebel showed up with Vuylay? That's odd…" Ryonai said thoughtfully, putting a hand to his chin.

"Valimos, not Terebel." Zaren corrected politely. "And the Elder calls herself Maeve."

"Maeve? Who's that?" Ryonai puzzled, not recalling inviting someone by that name into his clan. "And Valimos went Bladedancer now? I swear that guy is never satisfied…" Valimos had shifted his career path several times since Ryonai had invited him into the clan. First he was an Abyss Walker, then a Shilen Knight. Now he seemed to be studying the Bladedancer martial arts. Ryonai hoped he'd stick with it this time, as he needed someone dependable with full knowledge of their class, not someone with very little knowledge of a lot of classes.

"Maeve is standing right behind you sir, you could ask her yourself." Zaren said, taking an unconscious step backwards. Maeve was an aging Elf, but she knew how to manipulate men simply with the air around her, not even her own race was spared from it. Zaren had caught onto it right away as she introduced herself, and had made sure he stood upwind of the intoxicating perfume she wore.

"Nice to meet you." Maeve purred as Ryonai spun around, surprised by her presence. His eyes widened as she stood closer to him than he found comfortable, and he grabbed Shizuka and shoved her between them as a shield. The woman had an aura of passion, one that not even Vuylay exuded, and he wanted to be as far away from it as he could without seeming rude.

Shizuka blinked curiously at the woman, who turned her sultry smile onto her. To Ryonai's surprise, Maeve drew in close to Shizuka and reached around her hip to pinch Shizuka's rear.

"Oh my!" Shizuka exclaimed, and then giggled. "You're very friendly!" Shocked, Ryonai pushed Shizuka behind him and glared down at the Dark Elf. Maeve didn't seem at all phased by the discomfort Ryonai was feeling in her presence and pressed seductively against his body.

"Maeve! DO YOU MIND?" Vlad exclaimed, blinking into existence inside of town. He put his hands on Maeve's shoulders and pulled her away from Ryonai. "He's my Clan Leader for Gran Kain's sake! Show some restraint, woman!"

"Why hello Vlad, I was wondering when you'd show up." Maeve said, turning and walking her fingers up Vlad's chest. His ears turned a dark shade of crimson with her teasing and he pushed her hand away. "I see you still have the stray following you around." She added, glancing over his shoulder to a glaring Emixia behind him.

"Yes, she's quite useful." Vlad stated dismissively, pushing her hand down again as she walked it up his chest once more. "Now will you please explain why you feel the need to seduce every male you happen upon?"

"Shall I show you?" Maeve chuckled low in her throat, moving in closer.

"Now stop that…" Vlad commanded, but his voice came out weak as if he were weary with fighting her.

"Maeve?" Terebel exclaimed as he, Narlafayn, Vuylay and Amari blinked into existence.

"You've met her before? Were you one of her many lovers?" Vlad asked without hesitation. Maeve stopped teasing Vlad to stare at Terebel in disbelief. Narlafayn turned a wide-eyed stare onto Terebel, and he paled.

"NO." Terebel bellowed, making everyone jump around him. He stared at Vlad in horror as if he had suggested that Terebel murder a puppy for the fun of it.

"Oh, I know that look. She must've tried to corrupt you with her Dark Elf mindset as well, eh?" Vlad deduced.

"You could say that…" Terebel agreed, shutting his eyes into a thin line.

"It was a little while before I met you; I raised him for five years as a favor to his mother and grandfather." Maeve said hastily, peeling herself from Vlad's side. Terebel blinked out of his look of horror into one of confusion.

"My grandfather?" he echoed. "You're _that_ old?" He frowned and crossed his eyes slightly as he puzzled over what she'd said. "Who is my grandfather anyway? I don't even know that…"

"Vuylay-sama!" Shizuka suddenly exclaimed, throwing herself onto Vuylay, who stiffened at Shizuka's touch. "I've been so worried about you! How are you doing?" she squealed, hugging Vuylay tightly.

"I was fine until I got here." Vuylay mumbled. She glanced over Shizuka's pink head to look at Ryonai, who tensed under her glance and looked away, his face red with a blush. Vuylay looked away as well with a frown, her jaw clenched as if she were holding back tears.

Still holding onto Vuylay, Shizuka raised her head enough to look over the Elder's shoulder. Some feet behind her stood Amari, talking in a low voice with Zaren. He glanced over at her as she stared at him, and tilted his head slightly in puzzlement. Shizuka's face darkened into an almost sinister grin, and Amari froze, a shiver passing through him. A shiver of fear or something else however, is something only Amari would know, and never share with anyone else. Shizuka's face returned to its ditzy demeanor a moment later and she stood up.

"Yay, we're all here! Let's go party!" she exclaimed, throwing a fist into the air.

"Not quite, we're still missing the rabbit, Gatz, the raccoon and the expendables in our clan, not to mention the entirety of the alliance we're teaming up with." Vlad said professionally, trying to extract himself from Maeve whom was attempting to tease him again. Emixia continued to glare, and it occurred to everyone around them that Maeve was only trying to make the half-Orc jealous, nothing more.

"I'll go show everyone to the inn." Zaren offered, leading the way towards the building Ryonai had rented out for his clan. Amari, Vuylay, Narlafayn, Terebel and Maeve followed after him, all but one eager to take a hot bath and get some much-needed sleep before the siege.

"I came up with this new battle plan…" Vlad began, pulling out a new piece of parchment. "It won't win us the castle, but we'll survive and it'll put a big enough dent in their forces to make them fear us." He stopped talking as Ryonai frowned at him, and sighed heavily. "Oh boy, you haven't heard yet, have you." He said, shaking his head.

"Why would I want a new battle plan, the first one we came up with is perfect. And what haven't I heard?" Ryonai asked in irritation. The siege was tomorrow, why was Vlad trying to change things on him now?

"Greetings Ryonai!" Inderhoven called as he and several other bodies popped into being by the Gatekeeper's gazebo. They filed down the stairs towards him, and Inderhoven shook Ryonai's hand firmly. "Knights of the Forgotten Order at your service!" he said good-naturedly. Ryonai blinked and moved slightly to peer around Inderhoven's side. Behind him stood eleven people, all looking at him expectantly.

"That can't be everyone." Ryonai said, chuckling. "Nice joke Inder." Inderhoven shifted uneasily and glanced away from him. When no one joined in his chuckling, Ryonai stopped, the smile frozen on his face. "What's going on Inder, where's the rest of your clan?"

"They left for a larger alliance." Leon answered for him. "It's good to see you again Ryonai, it's been years. I just wish it were under better circumstances." Ryonai stared at his old classmate with large eyes, not believing what he was hearing.

"Hey, it's ok, we still have this many people, right?" Inder said cheerfully, putting his arm around his elfin girlfriend. Ryonai turned his bewildered glare onto him, trying very hard to keep his temper in check.

"No, it is NOT ok." Ryonai spat, his voice rising. He raised his hands as if he were going to strangle someone, and then clenched his fists. He put one hand to his forehead and took even, measured breaths as he grasped his temper. "I need…to go think." He said in a hard voice, stepping around the group in front of him and walking towards the stairs leading to the Gatekeeper's gazebo.

"I'll go see if people are in the inn." Koyori murmured as soon as she, Gatz, Sharmin and Tithania materialized in Heine. A pained look crossed Gatz's face and he watched as she hurried away. He swallowed hard and glanced between her and Sharmin, another war of conflicting emotions going on inside of him.

"You should see what's wrong." Sharmin said nervously, feeling slightly jealous and awkward for a reason she couldn't identify. Why was it suddenly so hard for her to act normal around him? Was she that uneasy still about the amount of time that had passed? Gatz sighed heavily as if weary, and nodded once before taking up a fast pace to catch up with the fast departing Prophet.

Ryonai froze mid-step as Sharmin spoke, his eyes large. To his utter disbelief, his old friend stood just a few feet away from him, watching as Gatz hurried off after Koyori. He couldn't believe his eyes, she was back!

He closed the space between them quickly and caught her in a crushing hug before she could really see who had grabbed her. Sharmin blinked in disbelief as she realized it was Ryonai holding onto her in a similar hug that Gatz had given her upon seeing her again.

"Fish face." Was all he said. This was enough for Sharmin to hear from her old friend and enemy, and she smiled warmly as she lifted her arms to hug him back.

"Horse mouth." She responded in a soft voice. Like Gatz, Ryonai's muscles had developed, but he kept his chestnut hair in the same style and length it had always been. He pulled away from her to look at her through lowered eyelids, and for a second time Sharmin felt as if she was going to be kissed. She stiffened as Ryonai's face moved closer to hers, but yelped when instead of kissing, he took both hands to pinch and pull her cheeks out as far as they would go. Sharmin jerked away from him with a glare, rubbing the two red spots that popped up. "What was that for?" she asked angrily. Ryonai glanced over his shoulder before giving her a cocky smile and jerked his thumb behind him.

"To get his attention." He said with a smirk. Sharmin frowned and stood on tiptoe to peer over his shoulder. Her blood ran cold as Vlad wandered curiously up the stairs. He paused as he reached the top, a wide grin breaking out on his face.

"Well what'dya know! It's the one that bleeds well!" Vlad exclaimed, pointy canines showing. "Great! Now we have an extra distraction for the siege! I can write better battle plans!" Sharmin paled as Vlad crouched to the ground with a piece of parchment and pulled out a pencil. He began scribbling vigorously as if suddenly inspired by seeing her again. "Hmm…I wonder where you can find Ant nobles this far south?"

Ryonai grinned at Sharmin again and grabbed her arm, all previous anger forgotten in the joy of his old teasing subject returning. He'd long since grown out of teasing maliciously, but he did enjoy giving her a hard time. He toted her over to the railing preventing people from falling down into the lowered center of the city and waved his hand at the group of Forgotten Order people.

"Hey Leon! Look who's back!" he shouted. Sharmin let out a strange high-pitched noise and he could feel her arm tense under his grip. Leon turned curiously at his voice, and then froze as he noticed Sharmin standing next to Ryonai.

"Ryonai, no!" Sharmin hissed, trembling again. It wasn't so much of fear at seeing Leon again as it was for Gatz, but nervousness at seeing her object of crush again. This was the real deal, not some look alike. Seeing that Leon was too struck with shock to move, Ryonai's grin grew broader and he toted Sharmin behind him as he walked back down to the square. He brought Sharmin around to stand in front of him, his hands on her shoulders to keep her from running.

"Look, she's finally catching up to us." Ryonai said, patting her shoulder guards. Leon fell onto Sharmin in a hug, relief at her well being openly showing. He pulled away quickly a second later and cleared his throat, giving Sharmin a nervous smile.

"I'm glad you're well." He said formally, and Sharmin's smile turned nervous. After getting such a warm reception from Gatz and Ryonai, a sudden formal one threw her off guard. "Have you been back long? Where did you go?" he asked eagerly, the formality dropping a bit. Sharmin grinned broadly and let out a short giggle, the shock of seeing him wearing away into an overwhelmed nervousness.

"Leon!" Tithania's voice came, interrupting Sharmin. A warm smile on her face, Tithania closed the distance between them with long strides, and reached out to take one of Leon's hands in hers. The familiarity she displayed chilled Sharmin's mood immediately, and her smile melted away.

"Tithania! Wow…this is really a day for seeing people again." Leon said, a different kind of smile on his face as he faced the Dark Elf. Sharmin suddenly got the distinct impression that the world had faded away for Leon as he spoke with the Archer, and she swallowed hard against sudden tightness in her throat.

"Well other than a few extras from my clan, it seems we're all here." Ryonai stated, drawing everyone's attention towards him. He talked from behind Shizuka, and had his arms over her shoulders and chin on her head as if she were propping him up. "Let's get to the inn, get you guys someplace to stay for the night, and try to figure out how we're going to fix our number problem."

"I thought you were angry?" Vlad asked, wandering back down the stairs towards them. He had the end of his pencil in his mouth and was nibbling on it in thought. The parchment he held in front of him was scribbled with swirls that were unrecognizable to everyone but Vlad. Ryonai made a 'pfft' noise and waved his hand, dismissing Vlad's claim.

"My punching bag made it back to reality ok, so I'm doing great now." He said, grinning pointedly at Sharmin. She turned an annoyed glare upon him, and he winked at her.

"Since when am I your punching bag?" she demanded, ignoring his attempt at getting away with teasing her by a flirty motion. He returned her look of annoyance and stuck his tongue out at her. She stuck hers out in response as he slipped an arm around Shizuka's waist to lead her towards the inn. Just as he had planned, she followed after him, still glaring, and her reunion with Leon forgotten for the moment. Behind her, Leon still spoke with Tithania, his face shining in an expression he'd never seen on his old classmate before._ You'd better tell her soon, man_. Ryonai thought, pressing his lips into a thin line. _You've kept her waiting too long; you need to end this so she can grow. _

The night passed by quickly, there were happy reunions and alcohol-fueled arguments later on between the members of Haibane and Forgotten Order. Ryonai and Vlad disappeared to a corner of the tavern with a slightly intoxicated Inderhoven in an attempt at hammering out a new course of action. Terebel retired early to his room, still weak and exhausted. The rest sat and chattered amongst themselves, some getting along, some not.

Junk Pixie had latched onto Narlafayn upon seeing her again; happily proclaiming to the entire inn that she was now charging twenty thousand adena for a panty flash from her. This earned a few nervous chuckles and an angry swat on the back of the head from Narlafayn, and Junk Pixie's newest business venture was laid to rest before it had begun.

"Having fun?" Shizuka asked Amari cheerfully as she weaved her way through the tavern towards him. Amari paused mid-sip from his wine and looked at her warily. She sat down in the chair opposite of his at the table and smiled at him warmly. There was a strange scent about her aura that reminded Amari of someone, but he could not recall who.

"If by fun you mean having the weight of being the only spell caster available for the siege, then yes. I'm having a blast." He answered flatly, placing his cup on the table. "I had hoped for some time to myself to meditate, so if you'll excuse me, I wish to retire." With a curt nod he stood from the table and brushed sawdust from the back of his dark green robes. Shizuka reached out and grabbed his wrist, beaming up at him with an air headed expression. Again a waft of the strange scent filled his nostrils and he winced slightly.

"I would like to be friends with you." Shizuka stated bluntly with a grin. Amari frowned, finding malice in her words although he couldn't explain why.

"Yes well, you'll have to wait in line." He said coolly, and shook free of her hand. "Good evening." He hurried towards the stairs leading to the rooms without a backwards glance. Shizuka shoved her lower lip out childishly as he disappeared and flung herself back into her seat.

"Meanie." She pouted, rolling a salt shaker on the table with one finger. She grinned a second later, at something only she knew, and stood to stretch. "Time for bed! It's going to be busy for awhile!" she sang to herself. Holding her hands out slightly like a child, she pranced through the tavern over to Ryonai, pecked his cheek, and then pranced up the stairs. No time to waste, she had nothing but busy nights ahead of her!


	13. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_In which battle begins_

The clans of Haibane and Forgotten Order gathered silently at the eastern gate early the next morning, just as the sun was peeking over the horizon, bathing the world in a pale gold light. A few shivered with sleep deprivation, some looked grouchy while most looked as if they had been up for hours, anxious for the coming battle.

Sharmin, a Haibane crest now tucked away inside of her breastplate stood by herself, inspecting the blade of her sword for any nicks. It was a heavy blue blade, another gift from Ferrol while in Aden. She sighed, trying to ease the tension in her shoulders as she sheathed the blade and stood fully from where she leaned against a lamp post. She'd caught up with Leon on events of the past two years over dinner last night; he seemed to believe in and understand the mechanics of other worlds, and didn't bat an eye or act surprised when she said only two months had passed for her. Tithania had joined their table a bit later, and struck up a conversation with Leon that left Sharmin feeling extremely left out. She didn't know how the two had met, or what their relationship to each other was, but they had still been talking when Sharmin decided to retire late in the night.

"I said no!" a voice hissed angrily. Sharmin turned towards it and saw the back of Koyori, half hidden in a doorway nearby. Thinking that she was being attacked, Sharmin moved closer, her hand on the hilt of her sword. This idea faded however; as she saw Gatz, previously hidden in the doorway, push her away from him.

"Why did you sleep with me last night then, if this is your answer now?" Koyori demanded, her voice thick with tears. All of the energy left Gatz's muscles then and he fell back against the brick wall siding the doorway. He let his head drop down to the side, his hair hiding his face.

"I can't do this anymore Koyori. This is too hard on me." Gatz said weakly. Koyori let out a whining shriek and began to pound on him with her fists. He didn't try to stop her, and let her beat on his chest until she began to cry.

"She gave you up for someone who doesn't even like her! How can you still have feelings for her after all of this time? You bastard!" Koyori sobbed, covering her face with her hands. She dove at him again and tried to grab his face and kiss him. Sharmin blushed and looked away, knowing she shouldn't be overhearing such a conversation, but curiosity had the best of her now; who was it that Gatz really liked, if it wasn't Koyori?

"Koyori, stop it!" Gatz said, struggling with her. "I enjoyed your companionship, but it has to end now! This is hard on me, but I know what to do now!" He jerked his head away from her as she tried time and time again to kiss him, finally shoving her away with all of his strength. She stumbled backwards and fell onto her bottom at the edge of the short staircase leading up to the doorway. She looked up angrily as she finally noticed Sharmin's presence nearby. With a cat-like hiss she jumped to her feet and flew at Sharmin, smacking her as hard as she could across her face.

"I hope you die today." Koyori snarled before storming off. Shocked, Sharmin lifted a hand to her stinging cheek. What did she do to deserve a slap on the face?

"Are you all right?" Gatz asked, touching her arm. Sharmin looked up at him with wide eyes, one hand on her cheek still. His face was covered in scratches from Koyori's fingernails and his hair tousled. "I can't believe she hit you…" he grumbled, pulling her hand away from her cheek to inspect the forming bruise.

"I can't either." Sharmin responded woodenly. "You guys broke up?"

"You could say that…" Gatz said without emotion. "Let's go join the others, alright? I need a distraction." Sharmin nodded and followed after him, mind muddled and confused as to how she had gotten caught up in Gatz's romantic issues.

Narlafayn quirked an eyebrow curiously as she caught sight of Koyori slapping Sharmin in her peripheral vision. _Oh boy, the drama finally begins,_ she thought, remembering her past conversations with Gatz. _So it seems he finally got his head around what he wants. Good for him but horrendous timing._

"Hey, did you get enough sleep?" Narlafayn asked as Vuylay wandered over to her. She had a frown on her face, but otherwise looked well-rested, which was odd considering she was around Ryonai again.

"Yes, surprisingly." Vuylay stated, shivering with morning chill. She glanced at the faces around her, curiously observing who had gathered.

"Surprisingly?" Narlafayn prompted. She hadn't gotten much of a chance to talk privately with Vuylay since reuniting with Terebel. His state of exhaustion left him dependant on Narlafayn to walk, and was always by her side.

"Yeah…I haven't had…those feelings…for over two months now." She said, not looking at her friend who gaped in surprise. Her eyes found Ryonai speaking with Inderhoven, Shizuka at his side, and frowned.

"Wait…you mean they haven't been…?" Narlafayn said, one eye twitching. "That can't be right; this is Ryonai we're talking about. He's the human hormone machine…"

"I know." Vuylay agreed. "Something else is going on with Shizuka, and I plan on finding out what. It's not fair to Ryonai if she's just not enjoying it anymore."

"Move aside if it's not enjoyed so someone else can enjoy it?" Narlafayn said mischievously, a grin cracking her face. Vuylay's face reddened and her leaf green eyes bored into Narlafayn's violet.

"Must you be so vulgar!" she hissed, looking around in hopes that no one had heard.

"What, it's the truth isn't it?" Narlafayn continued, happy she found something to tease Vuylay about for once. Vuylay clenched her jaw and glanced around her surroundings for a distraction, too embarrassed to talk her way out of Narlafayn's teasing.

"Terebel, get some control over her, will you? She's going to ruin my image." Vuylay whined as Terebel walked towards them. To Narlafayn's relief he looked the best he had in days; his color was back to normal and he walked without assistance. There were dark shadows under his eyes, but this was all that marred him.

"You have an image left to ruin?" he asked innocently, tilting his head curiously. Vuylay turned her bewildered glare upon him, her jaw dropping open slightly. Terebel gave her a cheesy grin and lifted his eyebrows. "Hey, we only tease those we like." He said suavely, putting an arm around her shoulders. Vuylay lowered her eyelids into an annoyed glare and pinched the hand that rested on her shoulder until he yelped and withdrew it.

Ryonai surveyed his small army without expression. He knew that the current Lord of Innadril castle knew they were on their way now, but he still hoped for some element of surprise. He sighed to himself as people murmured amongst them; Komugi and several other of his clan mates had never shown up the night before. He hoped nothing had befallen them to prevent them from arriving. Feeling that they'd had enough time to wake up, Ryonai cleared his throat to get their attention. Shizuka, always standing by his side, gazed up at him with shining eyes. She was his strength, no matter what, and even though he didn't look at her now, her mere presence was enough to make him the strongest man alive.

"You all know why you are gathered here," Ryonai said in a clear voice. Several heads nodded, while others waited patiently, "and I must apologize to you. Our forces are not what I originally expected them to be; we have a slim to none chance of winning this." A few of the newer members of his clan murmured, not happy with this news. "However, since we're expected to fight now, we'll go along with it. We have a plan that will…"

"If we're not going to win it, then why fight it?" Alucard, a new Shilen Knight recruit of Vlad's acquaintance shouted angrily. His friend, a warlord named Faltz nodded in agreement. Everyone turned to look at him, some bewildered, some angry.

"You're free to leave if you wish." Ryonai said without expression. Alucard ducked down into his armor, embarrassed by all of the looks he was receiving. "No, I'm serious. This goes for everyone. We have a plan that will dent their forces, nothing more, and if this isn't good enough for you, then you are free to go on with your lives and forget this ever happened." Ryonai glanced over them, expecting a few of them to leave. No one moved, much to his surprise, and continued to wait patiently for his orders.

"Alright then." Ryonai said, relief flooding his voice. The plan that he, Vlad and Inderhoven had worked on could still be used, since no one had left. "I shall detail the battle plans to each of you as we head towards the castle. The day is just beginning ladies and gentlemen, plenty of time for war!" To his surprise he was responded to with shouts and cheers, everyone high on adrenaline already and eager to move.

They marched out in one huge group, the guards of Heine glaring at them as they left, knowing they'd have extra long shifts before the night was up. No one was there to try and stop them as they began the long, four hour journey down to the tip of Innadril Peninsula, where the castle stood.

Ryonai flitted through the crowd, moving those traveling into groups according to their class, and giving them instructions. Sharmin and Narlafayn found themselves shoved towards the front of the group to travel with Leon, Alucard, Zaren, Inderhoven, and Emixia. Their orders at the front were specific; Ryonai wanted those seven to stick near him, and protect those behind them from harm.

Along the way, Inderhoven and Emixia paused briefly to do a summoning spell, bringing forth a pair of armored black panthers to fight with them. Narlafayn shivered as she remembered being pinned underneath one of the beasts in the Orc Village years ago. Emixia had changed quite a bit since then; her madness almost seemed forced instead of free-coming as it had been when she first met her. She wondered if Emixia's feelings for Vlad had something to do with it the sudden grip on sanity she now struggled to hide.

"Don't you have something to summon too?" Leon asked with a grin. Narlafayn looked at him blankly, caught off guard by his question. Sharmin, walking near Narlafayn, looked between the two curiously. She'd taken up a pace by the Elf in hopes to talk to her about her mother back in Bastok, but hadn't had a chance to yet.

"I do?" Narlafayn asked cluelessly. "Oh I do!" she exclaimed a moment later, suddenly recalling the hardest part of her Temple Knight training. Taking a breath she closed her eyes and put a hand to her chest, trying to feel out the elements of nature as her instructor told her to. It was difficult, as magic, other than the occasional healing spell, had never been easy for her.

She learned that the easiest way to pull magic from nature was to visualize it as colored thread. The trick after that was to mentally grab one of the threads and pull as hard as she could, bringing with it a tiny little creature tied to the end. Finding the string she wanted she pulled, and above her left shoulder a tiny blue fairy flew down from the sky. It harnessed the power of wind, and occasionally assisted her in battle, when it felt like it. It was incredibly snarky for a little creature, and Narlafayn found it as an annoyance more than good.

Shutting her eyes again she pulled another string, this time bringing down a tiny gold fairy. This one could heal her, and those around her in little amounts, and was a bit more helpful than the blue one. Shilen Knights also had similar fairies to assist them, although they had dangerous powers that could drain your very life. The fairies did not speak in a language that anyone could understand, not like the fairies living in the Elven forests and the Enchanted Valley, so their relationship to their summoners was one of silent trust.

To everyone but the elves the fairies looked like blocks of different shapes with patterns upon them, like Giant's technology. No one knew why they looked different to everyone but elves, but it was never academically pursued. The mages at the Ivory Tower officially gave them the name "Cubics" because of what they saw.

"That's awesome!" Sharmin exclaimed in awe. "Do we get something cool like that later?" she directed her question at Leon, looking at him with shining eyes full of hope. Leon shut his eyes into thin lines, her question not one he liked to think about.

"No, Paladins don't have summoning abilities." He said, his voice flat and without emotion. Sharmin blinked in surprise, not used to him being anything but pleasant.

"Someone's bitter." Narlafayn stated with a smirk. Leon opened his eyes a crack and pursed his lips as he looked at her.

"Yeah, and where's your third Cubic?" he retorted. Shilen Knights were capable of summoning three different Cubics to assist them, no Light Elf had yet figured out how to bring a third one.

"Touché." She said in a low voice, shutting her own eyes into thin lines.

They arrived at the castle at noon, the clanking of their armor preceding their appearance. Those of the clan that currently occupied Innadril paused in their daily routines of battle practice and armor-cleaning, listening intently. The tip of a tall siege flag that Ryonai had erected upon a long pole became visible before the small army, Ryonai carrying it at the head of the group with a determined look on his face. Seeing the flag before the army, the clan scattered and dashed inside of the castle, leaving training dummies and random bits of armor scattered about the courtyard in their haste. The heavy gates of the castle slammed shut after the last dashed through, and there were the sounds of it being blocked by a wooden bar on the other side. Archers and spell casters appeared on the ramparts, weapons poised in the direction of the advancing group.

"What is going on here?" the gruff-voiced female leader of the clan demanded, pushing her way to the front. She was a short human woman, with hair the color of pastel limes cut close to her ears and a square-shaped face. She was often thought of as more man than woman amongst those who knew her and her clan, but had a horrible reputation with clans she warred with for being a coward.

She frowned as she gained a clear view of the courtyard before smacking the archer nearest to her on the back of his head. "You got everyone excited for battle over THIS?" she snapped, gesturing towards the group that was in the process of having helpful spells cast upon them.

"They might just be distractions for First." The archer whined, rubbing the back of his head. The leader scoffed and turned, pushing her way back through the crowd gathering on the ramparts.

"Bullshit, First isn't smart enough for that." She said, her voice fading as she disappeared behind the press of bodies.

"That's not an army!" one of the spell casters on the rampart on the other side of the drawbridge shouted. He was met with slow growing chorus of laughter as the rest of the clan in view of the courtyard realized the size of the attacking group.

"We're being laughed at." Amari said through clenched teeth, hiding his face in his hand.

"So? Think of it as incentive to kill them." Vlad stated cheerfully, testing the weight of his swords. Satisfied he began to limber up his neck and shoulders by rotating them, his spine cracking and popping in the movement.

"I wish you wouldn't do that." Amari winced, never enjoying the sound of bones grinding. Vlad ignored him and began to rotate his arm, an old injury in his shoulder causing the joint to constantly pop when bent a certain way. He did it deliberately to irritate Amari, and needless to say it worked. Amari began gritting his teeth and shut his eyes to count, trying to distract himself from the loud cracking and popping of Vlad's shoulder.

"Well, so much for being intimidating." Leon sighed, adjusting his shield. Narlafayn and Sharmin stood next to him, both women white with nervousness.

"You expected different?" Emixia asked in her growling voice. She'd begun to grow her peach blonde hair out again from its usual short-crop, giving her a more feminine appearance. Her cat sat next to her, and she absent-mindedly stroked its head. "Better for us, silly meat is better than fighting meat. It tastes like candy." Leon's eye twitched visibly although his expression did not change, nor did he acknowledge she had been speaking.

"So uh…ever been in a siege before?" Sharmin asked Narlafayn, trying to smile. Narlafayn echoed it, mirroring perfectly the nervous smile Sharmin had mustered up.

"Once…it didn't go very well." She admitted with a shaky laugh. She'd nearly been killed by someone she had thought of as a friend in the only siege she'd been in before. If Terebel hadn't been there, she most likely would've died in a very messy way. Her nervousness faded for a moment as a thought crossed her mind; Terebel hadn't been in any clan, why had he been in Oren castle back then? She turned slightly and sought him out with her eyes behind her, trying to pry the truth from him without words. He knelt to the ground and had his eyes shut, one hand on the hilt of one of his swords, which was stuck point-first in the ground. He appeared to be sleeping, and Narlafayn hoped that he was merely meditating before battle, and not having a relapse.

"What happened?" Sharmin asked in a breathy voice, fear very apparent on her face. She'd only fought and killed once in her life. They'd been separate occasions, the first nearly—no, honestly killed her and the second she'd nearly driven herself mad with shock. If it hadn't been for Junk Pixie and Leon, she probably would've been a muttering ball of insanity, or having tea with her parents in the Abyss.

Sharmin winced with the second thought, and silently cursed herself for hurting her own feelings. There were just some things she couldn't even joke about to herself. In response to her question, Narlafayn let out another nervous laugh, but didn't respond. It wasn't a comforting sound to Sharmin, and she shifted uneasily. Koyori's acidic curse came back to sound through her mind in full volume, and she suddenly felt very ill to her stomach.

"I'm going to throw up." Sharmin said, crouching to the ground with her hand over her mouth. Narlafayn knelt beside her, her eyes large with concern for the girl. Sharmin looked almost the same color as a Dark Elf, and her skin felt clammy.

"If you can't do this, it's ok to leave." Leon's voice came gently as he knelt next to her. Sharmin looked up at him mournfully, and for a single, fleeting second, almost stood and bolted.

"No, I just need a moment." She finally said after swallowing hard. Leon put a hand on her cheek in a comforting motion and smiled warmly at her. No words were spoken, but that one friendly motion caused a sharp pink blush to spring up on Sharmin's cheeks, her nausea forgotten. He stood, satisfied that the color had returned to her face although Narlafayn figured he was oblivious as to why, and stepped up to talk with Inderhoven.

Sharmin watched as he moved with large eyes, frozen to the spot. Narlafayn lowered her eyelids at the girl and sighed heavily. "You're easily distracted, you know that?" she said, shaking her head.

"What?" Sharmin asked, looking at her as if she was seeing her for the first time. Narlafayn fought the urge to roll her eyes and instead stood and offered a hand out to the young Paladin.

"Exactly." Narlafayn agreed, earning a confused look from Sharmin.

"Are we just going to stand here?" Alucard whined to Ryonai during Narlafayn, Sharmin and Leon's conversation. Ryonai had an arrogant look on his face, his eyes never leaving the ramparts as the clan standing upon it jeered and laughed. "This is so fucking embarrassing." He groaned, turning away from his leader.

"Espy's done." Inderhoven announced, coming up from the back. Espy sat underneath a palm tree on the edge of the courtyard, one hand to her head as she tried to regain her mental strength after so much magical buffing.

"I'm done, and I think Koyori is too!" Shizuka announced, bouncing up to stand next to Ryonai.

"Orc side is done." Oscuro announced from the back. Next to him stood a Warcryer of Vlad's acquaintance, a very manly-faced woman named Danika. In the short time that Ryonai had known her, he'd never seen her smile, not once.

"Alright, let's go!" Ryonai announced, planting the siege flag into the sandy soil as hard as he could. This motion quieted the jeering from the ramparts, but their laughter started afresh as Ryonai held his sword up in an advancing motion. Patience spent, Alucard and Faltz raced ahead of the group, shouting a war cry.

"Faltz get back! Alucard, you're supposed to stay with us!" Ryonai shouted. The two ignored him and charged straight for the gate. There was a rain of arrows that bit through his armor like nothing, and soon Alucard was nothing more than a bloody mass that resembled a porcupine. Frightened at how quickly his friend got taken down, Faltz backpedaled and tried to race back towards the group, but a fire spell caught him before he'd taken a dozen steps away from the drawbridge, engulfing him in a ball of hellfire. Junk Pixie clapped her hands over her ears to drown out the sound of his screams, unnerved by them.

"This isn't going to work!" Inderhoven exclaimed in a panicked voice. It seemed as though he saw himself as one of the two men that had just fallen, and he'd lost his will to fight. Clenching his jaw in frustration, Ryonai knew he was right and let a frustrated sigh out through his nose.

"Shizuka, tell the others in the back to start retreating." Ryonai murmured. Shizuka had focused on something behind them, her eyes large, and didn't move or respond. "What is it?" he asked, concerned by her expression. Speech seemed to have left her, and all she could do was raise a hand and point.

The jeering from the castle silenced as a clatter of armor noise came like drums pounding out doom. Along the edge of the courtyard a new group began to gather, bigger, battle seasoned and gruff-looking.

"You can't start without us, we came all of this way too!" Cesa exclaimed from between a large Orc and her husband. Ryonai shared the same open-mouthed expression as everyone else in his group before a relieved laugh left his lungs in a great burst.

"Oh come on, two people dead already?" the Orc exclaimed, shaking his head. "You always did find clans riddled with losers, Narla." Narlafayn took a step forward in disbelief as Damascus grinned at her roguishly. All anger she'd harbored for him faded in an instant, as relieved as Ryonai to see him.

"Onee-san!" a smaller voice came, and from the mass of bodies behind the two elves came a pink-haired dwarf wearing black cat ears. She made a beeline for Junk Pixie and began to bounce as she threw her arms around her shoulders. "I'm so happy to see you!" she exclaimed, rubbing her face on the taller dwarf's shoulder guard.

"Ichigo! Mama's been worried about you!" Junk Pixie exclaimed, bouncing along with her sister in happiness. "Where have you been?" she pulled away to frown in a mature manner at her younger sibling, but Ichigo ignored it and began to prance.

"I'm a magical girl now, Lavinia made me one!" Ichigo exclaimed happily, pointing to a very embarrassed Lavinia standing on the other side of Celleriant. Peeking cautiously out of Lavinia's hair was a small brown creature that resembled a brown Elpy, only without a horn.

"Your friends I understand, but why is Catalyst here?" Inderhoven asked Ryonai in a hard voice. The clan that Damascus had once been in long since faded, and he'd become associated with a new clan called Catalyst. Inderhoven was not a fan of them, in the least bit.

"Because I asked them to come." A voice said, walking towards them. Sprissa, opaque veil in place to cover the lower half of her face, strode up to the front of Ryonai's group. At her side, gripping a spear in his two large hands was Broud, looking as grim and furious as ever. Sprissa smiled beneath her veil, her eyes crinkling with the motion. "Damascus owed me a favor; I hope their help will be welcomed."

"Of course!" Ryonai said quickly, ignoring the look of disbelief from Inderhoven.

"Well, my people are under your command for the time being, what's the plan?" Damascus called. Suddenly overwhelmed with adrenaline, Ryonai simply threw his sword forward and shouted to advance. Those behind Ryonai began to move again, sticking with the formation that Ryonai had previously instructed them. Those in Catalyst recognized it and matched it immediately, as to not throw the battlefield into too much chaos. The people standing on the ramparts no longer laughed or jeered. Instead they rand to and fro, trying to prepare themselves for the force that was about to blitzkrieg their front gates.

"Here we go." Narlafayn said, her mouth set in a grim line and her heart pounding. She and Sharmin raced ahead with the rest of the tanks, the black panthers summoned by the Dark Avengers running up to the doors ahead of everyone else and swatting at it with claws as sharp as sharpened diamonds. Archers began a rain of arrows from the ground, trying to take down the people whom stood on the ramparts.

"Words will not express how glad I am to see you." Amari said as Lavinia and a slew of spell casters joined him. He lifted an eyebrow as the creature wrapped around Lavinia's neck stared at him intensely. There was something familiar about the tiny creature's eyes that made Amari uneasy, as if they belonged to someone else.

"Go join your sister." Lavinia instructed Ichigo, who stood next to Lavinia with shining eyes. She pouted openly and kicked the ground, disappointed that she couldn't help with her weak wind spell that Lavinia had finally managed to teach her. She shuffled to the dwarf section of the army, all of the dwarves useless in this battle except as back up beef. None had come prepared with golems or cannons.

Danika and Oscuro seemed to be in charge of pulling the wounded and dead from battle, bringing them back to where Maeve and a bishop named Fiona who had once tended to Narlafayn, Vuylay and Celleriant after they were attacked in the Maille Lizardman barracks, stood. The two women worked together to heal wounds and resurrect those who were not too far gone. Alucard had been retrieved and freed of arrows and revived, and sat against the tree in a daze. Faltz had been reduced to a charred skeleton, nothing left on him to resurrect, and the loss shocked Alucard.

Most of the forces taken out on the ramparts, the Dame of Innadril Castle shouted commands from inside of the door. A large group of her clan disappeared, racing for a secret back doorway that only opened outward, not in.

Those considered tank class stood along the edge of the drawbridge, shields raised, as a group of spear and blunt users tried to take out the door. Sharmin and Narlafayn hid behind their shields, wincing as spells and arrows bounced off of them. Narlafayn still trembled with fear, still nervous from her last encounter in a siege, but a strange mature appearance had come over Sharmin. Once she realized she was to protect those damaging the door, she no longer seemed afraid.

"Force coming in from the back!" Vlad shouted above the clatter of battle. Ryonai looked at him in shock, not expecting his news.

"Take your group and hold them off! Zaren, Emixia, go with them!" Ryonai barked, buckling slightly as a super powerful wind spell hit his shield. Vlad flashed him a toothy grin and shouted wordlessly to get the attention of his group. They ran for the advancing group, meeting the other in a clash of swords.

"We're getting through!" an Orc cried. A long spear, one too long to be handled by anyone standing on the ground, lanced through the Orc's midsection, pulling him back to the door as whomever was using it on the other side tried to withdraw. More spears appeared, the clan using their weakened door to their advantage.

"Call a retreat, we need a new plan!" Damascus shouted, dragging one of his wounded friends from the door. Ryonai gritted his teeth as it seemed the line of archers from the ramparts was never ending. There was a choked cry and Ryonai looked up to find that some of the ground force had managed to make their way to his archers and spell casters, and was leaving a wake of bodies in their path.

Less experienced than the other archers, Tithania stood to the rear, trying to take out those who were attacking the healers. The strength behind her arrows was weak however, and if one connected flesh, it was ripped out with little thought.

Annoyed by her barrage of bone-tipped arrows, a spell caster turned with a growl and fired a spinning wind spell into her. It cut into her midsection, leaving a dangerous slice in its wake that nearly gutted her. Noticing her fall, Leon broke away from the rest of the group and raced towards her as a human wielding a two-handed sword attempted to bisect her.

Sharmin watched as he deflected the sword and then ran the wielder through on his own, then leaned down to pick up Tithania carefully. There was a look of raw fear on his face, one that made Sharmin feel cold inside and again question his relationship to the Dark Elf. _Now's not the time!_ She told herself firmly, returning her attention to the battle at hand.

"Retreat! Fall back and help the others until we can get out of here!" Ryonai shouted. Without question those on the drawbridge dashed back to the courtyard, some falling from arrows, others were hurrying to assist the weaker, ranged fighters. After collecting the wounded, Ryonai and the rest raced as fast as they could to the plateau of ground away from the castle. Wary that they were being lured, the reigning clan of Innadril did not follow, and began to cheer, thinking themselves victorious.

"Keep an eye out." The Dame murmured from her post in the ramparts. "I don't think they're gone yet. They have some Catalyst with them." Catalyst was never known to give up, and even if it looked like they were retreating, they always came back in greater number. She didn't know this new clan that had suddenly decided to lay siege to her castle, but she was sure she wouldn't forget it once they gave up.


	14. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

_In which defeat is imminent_.

Ryonai weaved around the wounded as they awaited treatment from the healers with an angry look on his face. They'd come to rest in a grove of palm trees, near a pool of fresh water. Everyone was battle weary already, their energy spent trying to fend off forces greater than their own. The casualties were few luckily, and mostly from Catalyst's side.

"What do you mean you're pulling out?" he demanded angrily, coming to stop in front of Inderhoven. He knelt beside a Dark Elf ranger who went by the name Morning Star, talking to her in a low voice as his girlfriend Espy healed a burn wound on her shoulder. Inderhoven glanced up at Ryonai before excusing himself politely from Morning Star's conversation and stood.

"It means what it sounds like. We can't win this with our current numbers, and I sure as hell refuse to fight alongside Catalyst. We'll get targeted by every major alliance that's out there if we continue." Inderhoven said seriously, walking away so the women wouldn't hear their conversation.

"I never cared about who hated who for what reasons; they're a powerful group, even this tiny slice of them and we need the extra firepower." Ryonai said heatedly, glaring at the older man. Inderhoven sighed heavily and shook his head.

"We can't do this Ryonai, I'm sorry. I'll give my clan a choice, but I think most of them feel the same way." He gave Ryonai an apologetic look and patted him on the back before turning away and rejoining his girlfriend and Morning Star. Ryonai groaned deep in his throat and gripped his hair, upset with this turn of events.

"Leading a clan's not all it's cracked up to be, huh?" Leon asked, leaning against the trunk of a palm tree. Ryonai sighed and shook his head, too aggravated to answer his old classmate.

"I never understood the politics behind who hates who for simply being what they are. Nobody but the clan we're fighting should be upset that we're siding with this Catalyst clan, because they're the only ones who have a right to be." Ryonai said in aggravation. Leon shrugged, and then pushed himself away from the trunk.

"Petty clan politics. It's the way of the world." He said with a shrug, as if it explained everything.

"Hey Ryonai, we need to come up with a better plan." Damascus called. Vlad stood next to him with a scowl, obviously they'd been talking about something that didn't go in a positive direction. Ryonai nodded, knowing that a new plan had to be made to adjust the decrease in numbers both from death and Forgotten Order's retreat. He waved lightly to Leon, ending their conversation, and jogged over to the two battle-hardened men.

"Leon, can I talk to you for a minute?" Sharmin called as she approached him shyly. Leon, mid step back in the direction of Tithania's recovery spot, turned to look at her with eyebrows raised. She fidgeted nervously in front of him, wanting to get what was on her mind into the open so she would stop concentrating on it.

"What is it?" he asked gently. Noticing her fidgeting, he smiled nervously and pointed to a patch of bushes. "I think that's where they decided the ladies room was." He offered. Sharmin stopped fidgeting and stared at him in shock, color slowly rising in her face.

"No! That's not it!" Sharmin almost shouted, embarrassed that he'd think her nervous squirming was an urgent need for the bathroom. Leon didn't bother to hide his relief, and smiled at her normally.

"What is it then?" he asked. "I don't want to rush you, but I really need to go see how Tithania's doing…" This was all Sharmin needed to secure her nerve, and she took a breath of air.

"What is your relationship to her?" she asked in one breath. The smile melted from Leon's face into a look of surprise, and he blinked at her several times, unable to comprehend her question.

"Why do you ask?" he inquired, his expression unreadable. Sharmin glanced away from his blue eyes to stare at the sand below their feet. She shifted in it, making a little hole with her heel. Seeing her from a distance, Gatz approached with a frown, never liking to see her standing near Leon. He had just made it to the tree several feet behind her when she finally found her voice again.

"Because I love you!" she said louder than intended. Leon's surprised look softened and his lips parted slightly. Hearing her words Gatz froze and plastered himself to the trunk of the tree, out of sight. He suddenly felt sick to his stomach and was stricken with the disbelief that she still liked him, after all of this time. "I've always loved you, since I first saw you as a girl on Talking Island." She looked up at him hopefully, her eyes shining. The smile of knowing and acceptance that she had hoped would be on his face was not, and her heart fell as he smiled sadly at her.

"I'm sorry." Was all he said before walking away, returning to Tithania's side. Sharmin stared at him as he left, suddenly feeling very cold. She swallowed hard against the lump in her throat and let out a short laugh.

"Of course…I should've known." She said, mentally kicking herself. Years of building herself up to be close to him suddenly crashed down around her, and she rushed away from the group to the edge of the plateau. All of those years, all of that pain…she never truly wanted to be a swordswoman, not really. She just wanted to be close to Leon, to be a part of what he was. Now it was all for nothing, she was still a coward, and Leon didn't like her! It wasn't Leon who saved her that night, it wasn't Leon that she had been almost positive she'd slept with as well!

Falling to her knees on the edge of the plateau that overlooked the ocean, Sharmin let out a keening wail, letting all of her sorrow out in one great burst. Her heart felt broken in a million pieces, never to be put back together. That one simple word, 'sorry', had said more than an elegantly put together rejection speech ever could. No need to tell his reasons, he just simply didn't like her and was sorry. She covered her face with her hands and bent over to rest them on her knees, and continued to cry while balled up, her voice echoing in the cave of her legs and hands.

"Leave her alone." Ryonai said from behind a tree as Gatz approached her. He glared as Ryonai leaned casually against the rough bark, his eyes shut. His battle planning was quick, they only needed a slight adjustment in tactics. He'd heard Leon's apology and followed after her to make sure she didn't fling herself from the cliff.

"Why?" Gatz demanded angrily, frustrated that he was being denied going to her after finally having the courage to be there when she needed someone.

"Because she needs to be alone right now. She'll latch onto the first person she sees in a rebound attempt. She won't even realize she's doing it either." Ryonai said, not looking up. "Believe me, it's hard for even me to hear her cry like that, and I used to bully her all the time. If only Komugi was here, she'd be the best medicine for her right now." He stood and put a hand on Gatz's shoulder. Gatz had his head ducked down, his hair hiding his expression.

"You don't know anything, anymore." Gatz said in a low voice, trying to control his temper. Ryonai frowned at him curiously, never hearing such hatred in Gatz's voice before. He lifted his head, his face contorted into hateful rage. "You don't know what she's been through." Gatz rose to his full height which was several inches shorter than Ryonai, and glared angrily into his face. "She was RAPED, Ryonai. Raped by that fat lard Montavious from the Island and left alone for who knows how long before Leon found her. Being alone is the last thing she needs right now!" Ryonai stared at him in shock, this news chilling him to the core. He took a step back in disbelief, feeling ill all of a sudden. Sharmin was…?

"I'll go to her then." Vuylay's voice came. She had been lingering behind some feet, and had overheard their conversation. Gatz and Ryonai looked at her in mild surprise, one face still angry and the other bewildered as she breezed past them and over to Sharmin's weeping figure. Vuylay put a hand on her shoulder and spoke to her in a low voice, and Sharmin latched onto her in a fierce hug.

"Who among us but Vuylay understands what cold rejection feels like?" Gatz spat, shooting another glare at Ryonai. Ryonai swallowed, his heart feeling like stone with his friend's words. Satisfied that he'd said enough, Gatz stalked away, trying to leash his anger and save it for the upcoming fight.

Ryonai fell back against the tree in shock. It suddenly felt as every carefully built wall in his life had come crashing down, leaving him in a mess of rubble. Reality hit him at full force, and every mistake he'd made in his life came back to haunt him in full color. He slid to the sand limply, staring like some doll as his will to fight left him.

"Are you ready to go?" Vuylay's smooth voice came, penetrating the deafness of shock. Ryonai lifted his head and squinted at her, the evening sunlight hurting his eyes. He felt as if he'd been sleeping, but he couldn't remember falling asleep. Concern crossed her face at the mournful expression he wore, and she knelt in front of him. "It's not your fault." She said gently, resting her hands upon his, which were on his drawn up knees.

"I'll be ok." Ryonai said in a raspy voice, leaning his head against the palm tree trunk. He swallowed, his throat dry and shut his eyes as he tried to lasso reality back into the fence he kept it in. He didn't wish to talk about all that had been said earlier, and tried his best to forget it now.

"Do you want to call it off?" she asked, staring intently into his hazel eyes. He shook his head without hesitation and rolled to the side slightly as he pushed himself to his feet. He felt embarrassed by Vuylay's attention, suddenly nervous around her after Gatz's harsh words towards him. He could never understand why people were so snippy with him about Vuylay, he had a girlfriend, why did everyone seem intent on making him a polygamist? Even Shizuka herself would encourage them to sleep together, almost too joyous about it when he finally relented.

"Listen…" he began, starting a slow walk back to the group, "…don't think I hate you or anything but…I'm with Shizuka, you know? I don't mean to reject you like I do, but she's my girlfriend, you're not." Vuylay's eyes widened in surprise and hurt, and Ryonai instantly felt like an ass. Gatz was right, there he went again, coldly rejecting her and this time she hadn't done anything but show concern for him.

"I'm not sure what prompted this conversation, but I already know that." Vuylay said slowly, looking away from him to hide her eyes. Ryonai had been in her presence long enough to know that was her way of hiding tears that were threatening to spill. He clenched his teeth as guilt kicked him in the stomach with a shod horses' hoof. Still, something puzzled him about Vuylay, at times she looked like Shizuka, even sounded like her. The few times he'd bedded her, it felt like Shizuka, and he'd never openly admitted it, was almost better than Shizuka. Vuylay seemed to know when he and Shizuka were together, and would show up, like clockwork, while they were in the middle of making love.

"After this is over, will you explain to me the connection between you and Shizuka?" Ryonai finally asked, stopping her from walking ahead of him as he paused. He put his hands on her shoulders and lifted her face up by placing a finger under her chin. "Please don't cry, I've had enough of girls' tears today. I'm sorry." He said gently, giving her a feeble smile. Vuylay tried to echo it, the tears she'd been resisting to shed finally spilling over her eyes and trailing down her cheeks. No more followed after they dropped, and she laughed shortly in embarrassment.

"Yes, I'll tell you." She promised, knowing that Shizuka would never properly explain their connection to anyone. She seemed to like the secret, since Vuylay was the only one affected by it. Ryonai's feeble smile turned genuine and before he gave it any thought, stooped down to kiss her. Vuylay's eyes widened as their lips touched, surprised he would do such a thing after what he'd just told her.

The kiss started tentative, just a soft, uncertain touch of lips, and then quickly grew heated. Vuylay, starved for attention after going nearly a year without, eagerly fell into it, refusing to question why he was suddenly kissing her. She fell against the tree that Ryonai had previously been seated against and arched her back as he lifted her from the ground enough to wrap her legs around his waist. It was a very compromising position, and if anyone decided to glance in their direction from the group, they'd get quite a show.

_This isn't Shizuka._ Ryonai's logic finally said loudly as he began to kiss down Vuylay's neck. _This isn't Shizuka_. It repeated. It wasn't until he lifted a hand to touch her chest that logic finally won, as her glamour was still in place, making her breasts much larger than Shizuka's. Normally they were the same size as the Light Elf's, but for some reason she wore glamour to make them bigger. He broke away from her lips with a gasp, and looked into her eyes, blushing in embarrassment. Lustful hunger shone in them, turning them from the color of springtime leaves to pools of liquid opal. Shizuka's eyes were the same color, and Ryonai often found himself daydreaming while staring into them.

"I'm sorry…" he apologized, breathless from the kissing. _What is the matter with me, she isn't Shizuka!_ He kept firmly saying. _Shizuka is behind you, in the group. Go to her and fix this mistake, NOW._ He backed away from the tree, gently helping Vuylay stand on her own feet again. He cleared his throat and looked away from her. "We shouldn't speak of what just happened." He said, adjusting his gauntlets.

"Of course, why would we talk about it." She said in a haughty voice. Again another defense mechanism to hide sore feelings that Ryonai had come to recognize. Regaining her composure she gave him a curt smile and smoothed her hair back into it's high ponytail. "Don't worry, I understand these things sometimes happen. I'm not hurt." Ryonai gave her a half smile, knowing she was lying, but let it stay at that.

The group's size had shrunk, Ryonai noticed as he returned. A few of the wounded had refused to return from the Abyss and lay with white cloths over their faces. Mourners crouched over them, crying for their friend's fate. Inderhoven and all of Forgotten Order save for Oscuro, Leon and Junk Pixie had retreated back to Heine.

After speaking briefly to Damascus (and making sure he ducked behind a tree to kiss Shizuka in the same way he'd kissed Vuylay), Ryonai gave the command to advance, the group marching back towards Innadril Castle. Ryonai still wasn't certain he could win the castle with their current numbers, but he was going to try his damndest.

Sharmin plodded along next to Narlafayn, only half answering the Elf when she asked conversation prompting questions. She had her eyes downcast, and her shoulders drooped. Vuylay had been of some comfort to her, but her heart felt heavy and numb, and she couldn't focus on what it was she was supposed to be doing when they arrived at the castle again.

Narlafayn didn't know what happened, but she garnered an accurate guess with how Leon avoided eye contact with Sharmin. He walked next to Tithania, and spoke in a low voice, concern over her condition clearly written on his face. She'd been healed, but seemed physically exhausted by the weary look she wore. She was too inexperienced technique-wise for the battle they were about to face a second time, but her eyes seemed to have seen more wars than Narlafayn's had.

Leon had alluded to Narlafayn that he'd met Tithania during a fight within the last year. He hadn't said what passed between the two, but it was something born out of the need for reassurance that the other was living, and the heat of the battle they found themselves embroiled in. It sounded lewd when Narlafayn thought about it, but since it was Leon, she doubted it had gone past more than an uncertain kiss or sleeping next to one another for comfort.

"So you joined up with this clan now?" Damascus asked, matching his pace with hers. Narlafayn grinned nervously and scratched her arm under the sleeve of her tunic, unsure of how to respond to him. "I think you made a good choice this time, this guy seems to know what he's doing." He gave a nod to her Dwarven Chain armor next, and patted her on top of her head. "I see you're moving up in the world, good for you." He complimented honestly.

"Thanks." She said shortly, still nervous to be in his presence after their last meeting. Damascus and one of his clan mates had attacked her, Vuylay and Terebel on the road to Death Pass, and she'd heard that he actually killed Sharmin and Leon from Junk Pixie, later on that day. She was sure Sharmin would react to his presence now, if she was focusing on her surroundings, but she still walked in a daze, looking at nothing. Damascus didn't seem to recognize her, and Narlafayn figured Sharmin had just been another tic mark on his list of kills, nothing more.

"I'm sorry about that last time we met. It was clan politics, nothing more." Damascus said easily, as if it excused everything. Narlafayn froze, trying not to loose her temper at someone who was helping them now.

"I won't say I understand, but apology accepted." She said woodenly, trying to make her voice sincere. Damascus pursed his lips for a moment and inspected her face. Narlafayn lifted an eyebrow at his intense stare. "What is it?" she asked, uneasy at being leered at.

"Do you have something possessing you?" he asked bluntly. Narlafayn shivered despite herself, her reaction inexplicable to her own mind.

"Not that I'm aware of." She answered honestly, unnerved by his question. Silence passed between them and Narlafayn looked for something to break it. "So…go to many wars?" she asked dumbly. Damascus laughed heartily, amused by her attempt at conversation.

"Not anymore. This will be one of my last I think." He said, smiling at her. Narlafayn gaped at him in surprise. Damascus not be embroiled in battle? Was he sick? "I'm getting too old for the constant stream of blood now. I've been doing this a bit less than a hundred years. I want to settle down for awhile and do other things." Narlafayn blinked once, still staring at him with large eyes. She realized Damascus looked weary, as she stared at his face long enough. He almost looked like he was starting to show signs of age and exhaustion. Narlafayn had never known Damascus to be anything but strong and unshakeable, a pillar of strength and brutality, and the news of him becoming tired with life saddened her.

They marched up the hill leading to the large outer courtyard of Innadril castle just as the sun began to sink into the western sea. Ryonai halted them as soon as the castle was in view, his eyes large with shock. The clan inhabiting Innadril had divided their forces, and a formidable army waited for them in the courtyard.

"Don't loose your nerve, just stick to your plan." Damascus murmured, coming up behind the younger man. Ryonai nodded, reassured by the Orc's encouragement. He took a breath and unsheathed his sword, raising it into the air to shout the advancing command, when a rain of arrows shot into the sky pelted around them. Several people were hit, some fatally so, and everyone scrambled to cover themselves.

"Don't panic! Advance now!" Ryonai shouted, realizing in horror that they'd lingered too long in one spot and given the ground force an easy target. Ryonai's army dashed into the courtyard, dividing and coming at the ground force like herding dogs to cattle. The plan was, if another force had appeared outside of the castle, to corral them like beasts and pick them off as they were driven closer together in the center. This plan would've been one hundred percent successful if the original numbers were still waiting for them, but the force had increased, and Ryonai feared another retreat was imminent.

The air was filled with the sound of metal clanging as swords met swords and shields, sparks flying and lighting up the bodies of those who fought in red light from the sunset. The healers stayed behind those ahead of them, trying desperately to cast quick enough and keep everyone alive. Many fell to arrow wounds and spells, one being a bishop standing next to Koyori. She gasped in horror and for the first time since beginning focused on the group they fought. Catalyst forces, the larger of the two there, were being cut down quickly from lack of healer support. Koyori realized with growing dread that the defending clan was fighting with only half of their power. They were distracting the attackers with battle so that they could kill the magic users!

"They're killing us back here!" Koyori shouted, hoping someone would hear her. An arrow flew at her and she narrowly dodged it, falling to the ground. It flew towards Lavinia, it's point in direct line of her throat. "Lavinia!" Koyori screamed, trying to alert her in the seconds before impact.

In a blink of an eye the tiny creature around her neck leapt from her shoulder and elongated, taking on the form of a bronzed skinned Orc, and pushed Lavinia to the ground. He caught the arrow in one hand, snapping it as if it were a twig. Lavinia stared in shock at Oonugh's back, as the tiny Drabbit had never returned to Oonugh form before then.

"Oonugh?" Lavinia questioned in a small voice. He glanced at her slightly over his shoulder before shrinking and returning back to the Drabbit, and leaping back up to her shoulder.

"What was that?" Amari demanded, seeing the entire thing. Lavinia looked up at him with large eyes, surprised to see his face contorted into anger. Oonugh had been his friend, and it offended him to see this creature take on what Amari felt to be a mockery of his form.

"I'll explain later." She said, pushing herself to her feet. She pulled Amari out of the way as a fire spell was launched at them, hitting the ground and catching a patch of dry grass there on fire.

For almost an hour the battle raged on. Everyone was wounded in some way by the time the sun was almost set, some worse than others. Covered in scratches and burns, Ryonai winced as an Orc swung a blunt at him, slamming it into his shield. It dented the metal and made his shoulder ache, but he endured it, the thought of bringing his family out of poverty on Talking Island fueling him now. They were nearly starving there, living only off of the money that Ryonai sent them every month. His sister had married and divorced, returning to the Island to live with his mother, bringing with her three more mouths to feed. He cried out in rage, angered that this fight was not going in his favor, and thrust his sword through the forearm of the Orc as he brought his blunt axe down on him again. The Orc roared in pain and backhanded Ryonai, who stumbled backwards with the blow. He raised his shield in time to deflect another hit from the Orc, determined not to be taken down.

Sharmin was weary, and fought without motivation. She lingered behind the group now, her sword tip dragging in the sandy soil, the battle in front of her a blur. She'd cut through a dwarf that had sent a small mechanical golem after her without even blinking.

An Abyss Walker took notice of her as she plodded around to the side of the castle, her eyes glassy and unfocused. With a maniacal grin he dashed towards her, his dagger drawn and ready to cut her down with one artery severing stroke. Sharmin turned to face him as he advanced on her, and he hesitated, but when she didn't even lift her sword in a battle stance, he laughed at his good fortune and continued towards her.

A spear was swung through the air just as the Abyss Walker thrust his dagger for her heart, slicing a cut in his throat. He fell backwards in a spray of blood, splattering Sharmin's face with it and helping bring her out of her stupor. She stared in shock at the twitching Abyss Walker, dumbfounded at what almost just happened.

"What are you doing? Are you trying to die?" Gatz shouted at her. He was both hurt and angry, and tears welled up in Sharmin's eyes for what had to be the hundredth time since her return. Gatz pressed her close to him with one arm, the other holding his bloody spear. He said nothing, but it suddenly dawned on Sharmin, very clearly, whom Koyori had been angry over him still liking. It was all very clear now; she was shocked that she'd forgotten his bittersweet goodbye that night on Talking Island when he asked her to come with him. Gatz liked _her_. He'd liked her for almost as many years as she'd liked Leon. Her heart ached with this realization, and she had to struggle to not latch onto him and burst into a fresh set of tears. They were in the middle of battle, the time for this had to be later.

He released her slowly, his angry look melting away into one of worry, and Sharmin tried her best to muster up an encouraging smile. "I'll be alright now, that kind of shocked me back to my senses." She said, wiping at the blood on her face. Gatz stared at her for a moment to be sure she wasn't lying, and then smiled, reassured.

"Stay by me." He said, facing the battle again. Sharmin nodded, and lifted her shield, ready to take on what was going to hit them. Although she didn't think she could return his feelings, they invigorated her, and filled her with strength that someone cared for her, even if it wasn't Leon.

Narlafayn fought alone, struggling to keep a hold of her senses. Each time a sword met hers, she felt as if she were slipping into unconsciousness, with how black dots speckled her vision. She couldn't understand what was happening to her, but tried to convince herself it was because she hadn't eaten that day.

As she wounded the person she fought enough to immobilize them, a strangled, watery cry sounded from behind her. Narlafayn spun quickly, afraid that someone was cutting down her side, but instead found the opposite. Terebel danced among the defending clan, his swords flashes of light glinting with the red sunset. Each of his strokes were fatal when they contacted flesh, his technique unmatched by even the Bladedancers of the defending clan. She felt fear crawl up her spine as she watched his face. The blood-speckled dark look upon it told her that he was within his own world then, a world of blood and gore and destruction, and he was reveling in it. This side of Dark Elf nature was one she'd never seen up close before, and she reeled in horror from it.

_"Want."_ A guttural whisper said in her ears. She clapped her hands over them, wincing at the noise. She could feel vibrations from the voice in the very pit of her stomach, and it made her feel ill. She winced again as she heard it very clearly say, despite her hands covering her ears, "_Want Him_." Black speckles dotted her vision again and she shut her eyes hard against it. _Stop it, go away!_ She thought hard, afraid of the voice.

"Wake up!" Broud shouted as he deflected the large two-handed sword an Orc swung at her with his spear. Sprissa, always with Broud, knelt beside Narlafayn and helped her to her feet. Narlafayn looked at her in fear, and Sprissa jumped. Narlafayn's left eye was completely black, even the whites, and her right iris was nearly engulfed by her pupil. It was frightful to see, and Sprissa had to swallow hard to keep her courage.

"We must get her to safety, she can't fight like this!" Sprissa shouted over the din of combat. Broud nodded, confident now in his half-sister's judgment and began fighting them a path to safety. Raised by Ketra, battle was what Broud thrived in, and this fight had put him in an agreeable nature.

"There are too many casualties on the other side, I suggest we retreat!" Zaren shouted to Ryonai as the two fought back to back. Ryonai made an angry noise and cut at the female Bladedancer he fought, trying to deflect both of her blades and wound her at the same time. Ryonai didn't want to retreat a second time, but he knew Zaren was right. His Catalyst backup was almost completely wiped out, and even a few from his clan had fallen. Fiona and a Treasure Hunter named Finch had answered the call of the Abyss, and Kallina was lying severely wounded on the ground.

Movement along the edge of the courtyard caught Ryonai's eye as the sunlight diminished from the sky. He turned to face it, the battle around him seeming to slow in motion. A long line of half bent figures, wearing what appeared to be tattered clothes from Ryonai's standpoint, swayed to and fro as if in a breeze. The rest of the courtyard took notice of the line of figures too, and the fighting began to diminish as all began to turn to look at them. Two more figures joined the bent ones, one tall and the other short. A blue light orb flared to life beside the shorter one, revealing a girl wearing a mischievous grin.

"Komugi?" Sharmin barely hoped to breathe as she and Gatz turned to stare at the new addition to the courtyard. A haughty look befitting Koyori on her face, Komugi assessed the battlefield without words and glanced up to the taller figure next to her.

"Kill the lords of Innadril!" Zaken shouted, pointing towards the fray. The line of stooped figures, which revealed themselves to be Pirate Zombies, moaned in response and dashed into the fight with speed quicker than undead creatures should have. Junk Pixie and Ichigo yelped as the monsters raced past them, ducking and hugging each other in fear.

"Oh my." Cesa exclaimed as a zombie began fighting the Sorceress that Celleriant had been struggling against.

"Komugi!" Sharmin exclaimed, trying to run to her sister. Gatz caught her arm and pulled her back as a spear aimed for her head whizzed past her ear. She raised her shield just in time to deflect it, reminding her that a battle was still going on.

"It's about time you showed up!" Ryonai shouted, still struggling against the Bladedancer. The ground force defending the castle seemed more desperate now that the zombies were in the mix, trying to keep their foothold. Several tried to race back to the castle and were cut down in the middle of flight. The zombies pounced upon their bodies before some were even dead and began to eat them. The sight was horrific, but welcomed to Haibane.

"Yeah well, Zakie-poo had trouble striking up a deal with his other half. He's not too sociable." Komugi said, patting Zaken's shoulder. He shut his eyes into an annoyed line and tensed under her touch.

"MUST you call me that in public?" he asked in irritation. Komugi grinned and nodded, purposefully oblivious to his annoyance. "Shouldn't you be heading to the gates now? My men have things under control out here." Zaken said, his suggestion sounding more like a command. Ryonai hadn't had much interaction with the man, but he'd decided upon first meeting him that their personalities clashed. Both were leaders, and because Zaken claimed he was once the Grand Pirate, feared throughout the land, he should be allowed to command just as much as Ryonai. Ryonai however, disagreed with this, and let Zaken know first hand. The appearance of the Pirate Zombies seemed to cement his claim at being the Grand Pirate, but Ryonai refused to let himself think about that now.

"To the gates!" he shouted, hoping enough of his forces would hear him. A group took up a pace behind him, and they began fighting their way towards the castle gates. A hail of arrows from the ramparts stopped them in their path, and Ryonai cursed silently to himself. He'd forgotten the forces waiting on the ramparts in his haste.

The night sky suddenly flared to life as a flaming cannonball flew through the air. It landed behind the rampart on the left side of the castle, exploding and sending people flying everywhere, some in pieces. Again Ryonai gained a surprise as he looked behind him. Another clan had gathered along the edge of the courtyard, this one greater in number than the force that Damascus had brought. A satisfied looking dwarf stood next to a giant cannon in the shape of a wild hog. The cannon shuddered with mechanical power as it reloaded, the gears inside of it making strange noises similar to a boar's oink. Leading the group was a blonde light elf in Dark Crystal armor, a triumphant smile on his face.

"Oh thank goodness you made it on time!" Cesa exclaimed happily, looking up from where she knelt on the ground, healing Kallina's wounds. Narlafayn sat against a tree with the other healers, her eyes still mismatched, and looked up at the sound of Cesa's voice. Her lips parted in surprise and a grin broke out on her face, causing her right eye to return to normal.

"Hi Narly!" Glarawen exclaimed, beaming brightly and peering at her around Arvalo's side. She wore red Nightmare robes now, and waved vigorously at her friend. "I hope we didn't miss the fun!" Tears slid down Narlafayn's face in relief at seeing her friend again in two years, but she didn't move from where she sat.

"You're just in time." Narlafayn said, smiling despite crying.

Now wondering just how many people Cesa had summoned to arms, Ryonai turned back to the castle, focusing on the doors as Arvalo's Dwarven Warsmith fired another cannonball at the castle. It took out the other side of the ramparts in another great explosion of bodies and debris. A third cannonball hit the castle gates, splintering them and providing a hole for Haibane to slip through. The cannon broke down after that, and the dwarf climbed upon it as quickly as she could to begin fixing it. Ichigo and two surviving Warsmiths from Catalyst raced over to help without asking. Such was the way with dwarves; if you saw something broken you didn't hesitate or ask permission, you just fixed it.

"Inside, hurry!" Ryonai shouted. Those with him dashed through the hole made by the cannon, towards the inner courtyard. They jumped around the wounded and piles of rock, Ryonai mentally calculating with distaste how much it would cost him to repair the cannon damage should he gain the castle.

A gigantic ball mace swung as they entered the inner courtyard, catching Valimos, who ran near Ryonai, by the middle and flinging him into the air and over the castle wall. The two-headed creature from Cruma Tower known as Premo Prime stood with another defending force, growling menacingly and swinging the ball mace in a circle above his head. Premo was normally seen harmlessly wandering Innadril Territory in search of his master, and it baffled Ryonai as to how this clan had managed to bribe him into protecting the castle.

"Get out of here, NOW!" Ryonai shouted as the new defending force poured out from behind Premo. The giant's creation swung his ball mace again with a roar, taking out a line of Catalyst with it. Those that could turned on heel and ran as fast as they could back through the castle gates.

Up on what was left of the ramparts, the Dame of the Castle leaned over the edge and began shouting. "Those of you left alive, forget the zombies and get back in here!" she shouted, her voice rough and raspy. Both forces, attacking and defending, retreated from the battlefield, leaving only the zombies feeding upon the dead in the courtyard.


	15. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

_In which there is a lot of catching up_

Deep within the poisonous marshland known as the Swamp of Screams, there was a terrible massacre to behold. Many of the Stakatos protecting their home lay dead, dismembered to point that it was hard to tell they had once been the insect-people. Sitting down amongst them, her legs splayed like a discarded doll, was the red-haired girl wielding the demonic sword. The red sword swirled with the red flame, seemingly content with the cold, mucus-like blood dripping off of it. She panted as she sat, her body pushed to near exhaustion fighting off the insect creatures.

She had seen the blonde elf she'd try to kill emerge outside of Rune a few days ago, and with prompting from the sword, taken up the hunt after her. Nobody got away from her and her sharp friend, and she would make sure that the elf regretted ever chasing her in the first place. Somehow though, she'd gotten ahead of the elf and her dark elf companion, and now passed the time waiting for them to pass through the Swamp of Screams. The sword murmured that it hoped they'd hurry, they were running out of Stakato and it was still thirsty.

There was a great gust of wind that blew away the ever-present green mist hanging over the dank waters in the swamp, and the red-haired girl shielded herself against it. There was a sound of mighty wings beating against the air as something large lowered itself back to the earth. The red-haired girl jumped to her feet, the sword ready, waiting for the beast that she was sure was coming.

A thin man landed instead, slightly feathered bat wings folding in on his back and disappearing as his feet touched the ground. He had long, feathery white hair that trailed in a tail down his back, and an equally feathery white chin beard. His eyes were slanted, giving him an Elven appearance, but at the same time flashed with a horrible temper. The red-haired girl backed away from him a few steps, her eyes large and frightened. She'd not been afraid of anything with this sword until now; this man was not what he seemed. He was something more, something that could easily squash her, even with the power of the sword she held.

"Disgusting mess." He said with a sniff, surveying the gooey landscape. "Still, I suppose an uncultured whelp such as you cannot help yourself." The red-haired girl let out a grunt of fear and turned on her heel to bolt in the opposite direction. The man disappeared in a swirl of wind, and re-appeared in front of the girl. She stumbled to stop and fell onto her chest in front of him, dirtying her clothes with Stakato innards.

"S-stay…away…" she managed to remember to say. The thin man regarded her with eyes slit like a reptiles before grunting with a half smile.

"Mother requests your presence…" he said, reaching down for her. The red-haired girl let out a frightened yelp as his hand covered her face, blocking out the light.

It was past midnight when the small army tromped back through Heine's gates trailing bloody and wounded people. The guards heckled with Ryonai at first about letting them back in the pristine white city while they stank of blood and guts, but after some smooth talking from Arvalo and a few small bags of Adena, the guards let them through without another word. They returned to the inn they had rented out, the wounded and exhausted taking the rooms to recover while everyone else camped out on the city roads. The rich of the city protested openly about the sight, but the three groups of people ignored it and concentrated on getting some much-needed rest.

Ryonai sat in the inn's tavern once again with Vlad, this time accompanied by Damascus, Zaken and Arvalo. Originally Ryonai had just intended he confer with Vlad, Damascus and Arvalo, but Zaken had invited himself into the conversation, saying it was his zombified crew that had helped get them closer to the castle. Too tired to argue, Ryonai let him in and more than once had to argue him down as he tried to take control of the siege planning.

After bathing in the public bathhouse attached to the back of the inn, Narlafayn exited the building and stretched, happy to finally be out of her armor and into the soft nightgown she'd purchased in Dion. It was a soft lilac in color that tied in the front and had short sleeves. It would drop off of one shoulder if she moved a certain way and was sewn from a material that felt like butterflies wings on her skin. She felt extremely girly in it, and blushed at the stares she was receiving from the men camped outside the inn as she made her way towards the town square.

On the edge of the fountain at the square sat Cesa giggling and chatting happily as if she weren't weary from battle at all, with Glarawen. At the feet of the women played two sleepy looking elf children, one Narlafayn recognized as Waverly, and the other a little girl she'd never seen before. Curiosity piqued, and her heart thudding with the possibility, she approached the two.

"Narla!" Glarawen exclaimed, jumping up and latching onto her friend. "Oh I'm so glad to see you're ok! After that siege on Oren and we lost track of you…oh Narla we were so scared you'd been killed!" Glarawen's voice cracked as she gushed, and she pulled away to reveal tears shining in her eyes. Narlafayn smiled warmly and hugged her friend again, trying to apologize without words.

"I'm ok; I got out of there just fine." Narlafayn said, holding Glarawen's hands.

"She found herself a boyfriend that day." Cesa said wickedly, her eyes glinting mischievously. Narlafayn's face turned red as if a switch had been flipped inside of her, and she ducked her head down.

"Oooooh, a boyfriend?" Who? Who! I need to give him the fifty questions to make sure he's good for my Narla!" Glarawen said, bumping shoulders with Narlafayn in a teasing manner. Narlafayn's blush increased; she still wasn't used to Terebel being referred to as her boyfriend.

"My Uncle, Terebel. He's the best looking Dark Elf here." Cesa answered as Narlafayn stuttered. Glarawen turned a surprise look onto the pale-haired elf grinning up at her as if she'd said nothing out of the ordinary.

"Ooh, that means if you marry him, you'll be related to Cesa and Lavinia!" Glarawen suddenly exclaimed, saving face. "Oh do get married; I want to plan it for you!" Narlafayn's blush faded and she stared at Glarawen with large eyes.

"Oh oh, if you marry Uncle Terebel, you'll be part of the family! Oh yes, that's a wonderful idea!" Cesa exclaimed happily. The two women turned and giggled at each other with some unspoken knowing. Narlafayn felt as if her brain had imploded then, and she tilted over to one side, her eyes hidden by her hair and a slightly dumbed look on her face.

Narlafayn was rescued from teasing as Waverly let out a shrill cry, drawing everyone's attention to him instantly. He jumped up from where he sat in the patch of decorative grass around the fountain to cling to his mother's waist and wail. The cause for his fear, quite comically, was a miniature, doll-sized tree that had suddenly sprung up at the feet of the little elf girl. She looked at it with wonder, and let out a peal of delightful laughter.

"Honestly Waverly, it's just a tree darling! You were born underneath one!" Cesa said with a tired sigh, patting him on the head. Waverly let out a stubborn whine and pulled his hat down lower over his head. For some reason Cesa has put him in a ridiculous looking hat of Dwarven origin that had dog-ear flaps dangling down in front of his ears, a puff ball on the crown and a pair of oversized goggles attached to the front. It was hard not to laugh at the poor child, but Narlafayn knew Cesa was proud of herself for dressing him.

"Oh my, she grew another one!" Glarawen said, her voice full of pride. She bent down and scooped up the little girl, cuddling her close as she stood. Narlafayn's previous curiosity returned and she blinked several times as Glarawen sat with the blonde child.

"Is that…?" she asked, her question lost as Glarawen began to glow with pride. She stood with the little girl and gently handed her to Narlafayn, petting the baby's head as Narlafayn stared down at the child with large eyes. The baby couldn't have been more than two, and was the prettiest little thing she'd ever seen. Her hair was a bright yellow and thick with curls despite her young age, and her eyes were a warm teal color. Glarawen giggled at Narlafayn's expression and nodded, a blush spreading on her cheeks.

"Yes, she's mine. Narla, meet Iris." She said, raising a hand to her cheek as if to hide the blush there. Narlafayn nearly dropped the baby with this news, shocked despite already suspecting where the baby had originated. "Oh Narla you should see how 'Valo dotes on her, it's just so absolutely adorable!" Glarawen said excitedly, taking her baby out of Narlafayn's arms and cuddling her again.

"I think I'm supposed to congratulate you right now?" Narlafayn said dumbly, her mind swirling. Glarawen laughed and sat with her baby, who yawned and began to look sleepy.

"It's alright, I just wish we had gotten in contact with you sooner!" she rocked Iris gently as the little girl's eyes drooped shut. "'Valo and I were the Lord and Lady of Dion, did you know?" she continued, the smile never leaving her face. Again Narlafayn's jaw dropped open, shocked by even more news.

Gaining her answer from Narlafayn's expression, Glarawen continued; "For about a year we held Dion castle, and 'Valo did his best as a Lord, but there are just some people who are never satisfied. After I became pregnant, he just didn't feel safe bringing a child into the world with such big targets painted on our backs, so he stepped down from the throne. We've kind of been in hiding until Cesa sent us the letter asking for help." She chuckled again, this time at the look of sorrowful guilt in Narlafayn's expression. "Oh don't look like that Narla! It's alright! I know how you feel about wars, its better you went the direction you did." She said good-naturedly. Narlafayn smiled nervously at this, as she was constantly reprimanded by those around her for her staunch pacifism in a blatantly war-torn world.

"Where has my battle-loving uncle gotten to?" Cesa asked suddenly, breaking the awkward silence that had befallen the group. Narlafayn glanced away from the women uneasily and shifted, lifting a hand to scratch her arm nervously.

"He went to bed, I think." Narlafayn said, focusing on a water beetle darting across the surface of one of the water channels leading to the fountain.

"And you're not with him, tsk tsk!" Glarawen chided good-naturedly. The embarrassed blush returned to Narlafayn's face, and she gaped at her Elder friend.

"Glarawen!" Narlafayn said incredulously, not believing something so subtly lewd came from her.

"Well she's right, everyone can see how much you guys like each other. Waverly wants cousins to play with, hurry up!" Cesa joined in, grinning devilishly. Narlafayn gaped at her in turn, her face increasing in color. The women then directed their teasing conversation about what kind of children she and Terebel would have, should they have any. Narlafayn gave up trying to defend her pride and let the teasing roll over her, giving them the response they wanted by letting her face take on several different shades of pink and red.

Truthfully, Narlafayn had avoided Terebel since returning to Heine. The dark look had never left his face as they traveled back across the peninsula towards the city, and she feared that the voice and strange light-headed feeling would return should she approach him. He scared her that day, with the pleasured expression he wore while dancing beautifully amongst the dying. She hoped that when the siege was over, everything would return to how it had always been. She prayed that it would.

Sharmin pushed her way through the inn crowded with drunken bodies, trying to make her way towards the back where Ryonai sat, planning for battle. She was shoved and elbowed as she nudged her way past the press of skin and armor, and winced as fists and elbows would contact her body in places not protected by her armor. The air stank of dried blood and booze, making the air hard to breathe.

The pink head of her sister became visible the farther back she pushed, standing next to the chair of the strange tall man she'd come to the siege with. Taking a shaking breath as her throat seized with happiness, Sharmin forced her way through the crowd and dashed to her sister. Without a word she latched onto her in a fierce hug, crushing her to her body.

Komugi let out a noise of angry surprise, thinking that she was being touched by a drunken customer, until she realized the body clinging to her felt familiar. Always protective of her, Zaken stood, his chair toppling over. Komugi held up a hand and glanced at the side of the head that hung over her shoulder with large eyes, her body trembling as she saw the familiar locks of brown hair there. Not needing any words either, she latched onto her sister in return and began to cry like she did when they were children, pushing on Sharmin's shoulder until she stood up so Komugi could cling to her instead.

Never seeing this side of Komugi, Zaken was taken aback, and looked at the men sitting at the table next to him in confusion. The Komugi he knew was headstrong and stubborn, this Komugi before him couldn't possibly be the same one; she seemed almost…childish. Ryonai shrugged as he looked at him, used to all sides of Komugi from years of growing up with her.

"That's her sister." He said, knowing that should explain everything if Komugi had told him of Sharmin's disappearance. Vlad shook his head and took a long swig from the pint in front of him, half draining it with one draw.

"The sound of sobbing women always did ruin a good battle meeting. Can the wailing kittens please move elsewhere?" he asked bitterly, earning a glare from the former Pirate King.

"Screw you." Both girls said with thick voices, pulling apart to glare at Vlad. He lifted his eyebrows, impressed by their unison. They both had equal surprised looks as they realized they'd spoken at the same time, and then broke out into laughter at the same time. They fell onto each other, hugging as they laughed, tears streaming from their eyes again.

"That was an amazing display of emotional range. I need to document it later." Vlad stated. The other men at the table nodded in agreement, also impressed. Komugi shot them a glare and stuck her tongue out, then grabbed Sharmin's hand and toted her back through the inn so they could talk in peace outdoors.

"Min, what took you so long to get back? Were you having fun over there or something?" Komugi exclaimed once they were free of the confining building. She latched onto Sharmin's arm as the two sat on the stairs leading from the inn's door, clinging to her as she had done years ago. She pouted angrily, glaring at the pavement by their feet as she kept her death grip on Sharmin's bicep.

Sharmin's lips parted in surprise as she realized Komugi knew she'd been in another world and had merely been waiting for her to return, not wondering if she had still been alive at all. Komugi lifted her head, tears welling in her eyes as she glared at her sister, her lower lip stuck out as far as it would go.

"I went and turned sixteen while you were gone, what are you going to do about that?" she challenged, the tears falling from the corners of her eyes. "You were supposed to be there! Why'd you have to go be nice like you were and get taken away from me for two years? I hated Narlafayn for almost a year after it happened you know! And then I spent all that time trying to find a way for you to come back and got this grouchy boyfriend…" Sharmin began to cry as Komugi spoke, grief over the missed years emerging afresh despite all that had happened that day.

"I'm so sorry!" Sharmin said fiercely, leaning over to press her forehead against her bent knees. "I'm so sorry!" she repeated, her body shuddering with great sobs. Komugi's grip on her arm increased to a painful degree until Sharmin lifted her head to look at her again.

"At least my message got to you and you came back." Komugi said in a small voice, a tiny smile on her face. "We can make up for everything we missed, and I'm gonna make you buy me presents for all those birthdays of mine you skipped! Really expensive ones because you owe me!" The stern look that Sharmin remembered being Komugi's trademark returned, and she smiled.

"Alright." She promised, as a small voice in the back of her head warned her about regretting it later, when the grief and guilt was gone. She let out a chuckle and wiped her eyes with the arm that was not in the Komugi death lock. "Wait, grouchy boyfriend? I thought you didn't put up with anything unpleasant." She questioned, her smile fading as she recalled Komugi's words. Komugi shrugged at the question and then scrunched her shoulder to scratch her cheek on her shoulder guard.

"He's got his charming cuddly side too. I guess I can't blame him for the grouchiness, he did spend a long time on that island with nothing but mutinous zombies for companionship." Komugi said lightly, ignoring the perplexed look Sharmin's face now wore.

"What?" she managed to get out, her eyes large. Komugi sighed heavily and released Sharmin's arm with one hand to stretch her cramped fingers. The aloof attitude was definitely classic Komugi, as she always adopted it whenever she knew she was telling Sharmin that wasn't necessarily something Sharmin wanted to hear, but would find out about sooner or later.

"Oh don't worry, he's not abusive or anything like that, and he's mostly over being a vampire. He was a Pirate once you see, and got changed by this curse on Giant's Treasure…" Komugi continued, shutting her eyes and grinning widely. All the color drained from Sharmin's face; surely Komugi wasn't speaking of whom Sharmin thought she was. It had to be a joke, for it almost sounded like she was speaking of…

"Komugi, we should go get some sleep now." Zaken growled from the doorway. He wore a dark scowl, the battle planning obviously not ending how he had wanted it to. Sharmin blanched out as she turned to look at him, recognizing his face from her old school textbooks.

"I'll sleep when I want to; my sister just came back from another world so I want to pretend my life is like it used to be, if you don't mind." Komugi said in irritation. She returned to clinging with a death grip onto Sharmin's arm and stuck her tongue out at him. "You'll have to rip her arm off to get me to go with you." She said, doubling over to cling harder to Sharmin.

"It can be done." He said smoothly, lowering his eyelids slightly. Komugi sat up straight and whipped around to glare at him.

"Don't you dare, this is my sister you pervert vampire!" she hissed, her hair prickling out in anger. Zaken smirked at her, the tip of one canine gleaming through slightly parted lips.

"Komugi…you didn't…manage to catch the attention of the Grand Pirate, did you?" Sharmin asked in a strained voice. Zaken raised an eyebrow at her, but didn't respond. Komugi removed her attention from her boyfriend and turned it back onto Sharmin, melting quickly into an innocent face.

"So? Grand Pirates get lonely too." She said quickly, not really answering Sharmin's question yet explaining more than Sharmin liked all at once. Sharmin felt as if a circuit had popped in her brain and she felt all the energy drain from her body in one great flood.

"He's…hundreds of years old…" Sharmin managed out in a weak voice.

"Only a hundred." Komugi corrected still wearing the innocent face. More energy fled Sharmin's limbs and she doubled over. "It shows too, he's still really rusty in bed." She said idly.

"WHAT?" Sharmin and Zaken exclaimed in unison. Adrenaline replaced Sharmin's energy and she surged to her feet, pulling Komugi with her. She grinned as both her boyfriend and sister began to stutter at her words.

"What do you mean by rusty?" Zaken demanded, stomping out of the inn towards her. Komugi yelped in a playful manner and ducked behind Sharmin to use her as a shield.

"What do you mean by 'in bed'?" Sharmin demanded in turn, spinning around to face Komugi. "No…no. I shouldn't just blame you for this." She spun on heel and faced Zaken (which was difficult considering her head was just barely in line with his chin) and took on a challenging stance. "What are you, some sort of pedophile? How DARE you sleep with a sixteen year old girl you undead pervert!" she snapped. Zaken took a step back, shocked by Sharmin's reaction. Komugi grinned mischievously from over Sharmin's shoulder guard, pleased that Sharmin the Prude hadn't disappeared.

"She started it!" Zaken said weakly, strangely intimidated by Sharmin's protective side. He took a step back as she advanced on him, nearly stumbling off of the steps.

"I. Don't. Care. A grown…vampire…thing like yourself, hundreds of years her senior should know better than that!" Sharmin spat. "What if she got pregnant? Did you ever think of that? What if you gave her some sort of zombie disease? Would you take responsibility for it?" Sharmin's attitude was reminding Zaken of his long dead sister Marnin, and he found he couldn't muster up his normal indignant air to counter it.

"She's awfully persuasive." Zaken said, nearly pouting from Sharmin's verbal spanking. Sharmin opened her mouth, and then closed it, her anger fading slightly as she pondered his words.

"True…but that doesn't change anything here!" Sharmin waved her hands up and down furiously, as if she were flapping them. "Komugi, did you go crazy while I was gone or something? A VAMPIRE? And the Grand Pirate ZAKEN no less?" She turned to her sister, whom bit her fingernails and stared at the sky. Zaken stared at his feet behind her, kicking his toe into the stone step and very much resembling a scolded child.

"What, haven't you had sex yet?" Komugi asked innocently, purposefully changing the thread of conversation. Sharmin blanched out yet again and nearly fainted, the moment of weakness all that Komugi needed to prance past Sharmin and into the inn. "Don't stress over the small details too much, we'll catch up after this stupid war thing Ryonai's gotten himself into is over, ok? Go to bed soon!" she called, her voice thick with laughter as she raced as fast as she could for the stairs. Even though she wasn't injured, being a healer meant she could stay in the inn, just in case one of the injured became worse as the night progressed.

Sharmin sunk to her knees as she tried to get her head around things again. She'd missed a lot in the years that had passed in Aden; this much was definitely unquestionable now. Although it didn't surprise her that Komugi had finally found a boyfriend she cared enough about to move past simple kissing and hugging, it did bother her that the boyfriend was a hundred and something year old vampire pirate. Suddenly feeling suffocated by the rank air that poured out of the inn, Sharmin stood and decided a walk was just what she needed before trying to sleep.

She walked towards the square and then around it, heading to the Temple of Eva. Blue glass had been fitted into the shingles on the roof, which gleamed softly in the moonlight. It reminded Sharmin of the moon shining on the ocean back on Talking Island, and filled her with a comfort she needed at that moment.

She paused on the gable roofed bridge to stare out into the channels that ran underneath the bridge and sighed. The day came rushing back to her in clarity, and her heart began to twinge in rejection pain. The sting of Leon's response to her confession was still fresh, even though she tried her hardest to fight it. She hadn't seen him at all since their retreat, and she wondered if it were purposeful on his part. This stung her even deeper, and she sunk to her knees, her hand still gripping the bridge railing, as she tried not to cry. She was tired of crying, as she had done nothing but since her return.

A hand gripped her bicep firmly and pulled her to her feet. She gasped in her throat, her eyes large as a mouth closed over hers, locking her in a kiss. She blinked in shock as she tried to focus on Gatz's face in front of her, her heart racing in at first startlement, then the realization that they were kissing. She pulled away from him with a gasp for air, and placed a hand on his chest. He no longer wore his armor, and her hand touched the red and gold fabric of the Zubei tunic.

"Gatz…what…are you…" she attempted to get out before he kissed her again. Her mind went to mush, the kiss bringing back memories she'd tried to forget out of the pain of them. His kiss was so familiar, yet this was the first time they'd kissed since Talking Island…wasn't it?

"Don't think of him anymore." He murmured against her lips. His tongue played gently at her lips, coaxing her to deepen the kiss, and she hesitantly accepted the invitation. Caught in the moment, her mind blessedly devoid of any thought, Sharmin raised her arms and wrapped them around his neck. His hands came to rest at the small of her back, locking her against his body. The wind blew softly, tiny strands of his hair tickling her face, and she sighed at the comfort of it all. It was like it had happened before…

She recalled in an instantaneous flash of memory the night she'd first lost Komugi, the night she'd gotten poisoned by the spider after running into the Ruins of Agony. Her eyes snapped open as suddenly, in crystal clear detail, she recalled the face of the man that had saved her, the memory of Gatz gazing at her in desire as they lay together intimately. She broke the kiss abruptly and backed away from him, her eyes large and one hand covering her mouth.

"Sharmin…" Gatz began, reaching towards her. He kicked himself internally, taking her reaction to be shame at what she'd done.

Sharmin backed away from him, her eyes welling with tears. She shook her head, her face contorting into a mournful expression before turning and bolting into the city. It had always been Gatz all of this time? Never Leon…no, Leon had never felt right. She couldn't believe it, Gatz had been there all along, always with her…she'd given herself to him…yet for this many years she hurt him by chasing a childhood crush.

Sharmin was ashamed of herself, ashamed that she'd hurt Gatz deeper than she'd ever realized over the years. She didn't feel worthy of his attention now. Not after everything that had happened. Not after she'd been defiled by Montavious. She wasn't worthy of even a glance from his gentle brown eyes.

Komugi tsked bitterly as she emerged from the shadow of the house she'd hidden herself against. She'd led Gatz to Sharmin's location after meeting up with him in the inn, but there Sharmin had to go and ruin a perfectly good moment by being Sharmin.

"Oh no you don't." Komugi said, grabbing the collar of Koyori's shirt as she tried to dash past and towards Gatz. Koyori let out a choked noise and fell backwards slightly before whipping around.

"How dare you touch me!" she exclaimed shrilly, yanking her clothes from Komugi's hand. "That's MY boyfriend! I have a right to go to him!"

"That's _Gatz_; he doesn't belong to anyone except maybe Sharmin if she'll get her act together." Komugi corrected, glaring at her longtime rival. Koyori tensed, her eyes large and wild. Komugi met her nearly insane stare with a cool one, not fazed by Koyori's attempt at bending her to her will. "You know you stole him from Sharmin many years ago, Koyori. I know you did it on purpose too, that's just how you ride. You wanted an easy catch that would secure you a lifetime of riches and fame, am I right?" Komugi continued as Koyori made no motion of attempting to dash towards Gatz again.

"I just wanted to be safe for once." Koyori said, her voice cracking as tears began to pour down her face. "He was going to have power, and I could've stayed safe and out of war and lived." She broke down into sobbing, and pressed her hands against her eyes. She stepped forward and leaned her head on Komugi's shoulder, earning a look of bewilderment from her rival. Komugi glanced around as if embarrassed to be seen with the crying Koyori before patting her on the back lightly.

"There there." She said in a flat voice, barely touching her. She almost felt guilty with how hurt Koyori sounded. She'd never thought it possible for Koyori to actually fall for a boy accessory like it appeared she had for Gatz, but this was the way things had to be. Gatz had maintained his feelings for Sharmin, even with Koyori there, so it seemed to Komugi that Gatz would never truly be happy with anyone but her dense as bricks sister. "Take a bit of recovery time Koyori, and then we'll go find you a new guy that'll keep you safe, alright?" she put a hand on Koyori's shoulder and led her back towards the inn, trying to muster up an encouraging smile.

"I don't want another guy." She sniffled, wiping her nose on her hand as she allowed herself to be led. They were silent for a moment, the only sounds being the running water and the occasional wet sniffle from Koyori. "Who's that guy with the long blonde hair in the doom armor? He seems powerful and he's handsome…" she pondered aloud after a bit. Komugi turned an acidic glare onto her rival and hissed softly.

"Don't you DARE, that's MY boyfriend." Komugi hissed, pressing her fingers into Koyori's shoulder as a warning. Koyori glared at Komugi, the temper of the other always bringing them out of any stupor or depression like the best medicine in the world.

"Oh come on, as if a guy like that could truly be happy with a pea-size chest like yours. His hands were huge; you'd be like pinching grapes to him!" Koyori retorted nastily.

"Grapes are a hundred times better than your overgrown tomatoes!" Komugi spat, her hair prickling out once more. They continued across the square towards the inn in this manner, earning looks of confusion and fear that they'd start fist fighting any moment as they passed the rest of Ryonai's army.

Earlier, while Sharmin and Komugi reunited, Amari stomped up the stairs of the inn angrily and pushed his way past people standing in the hallway on the upper floor in an almost rude manner. The time of battle was through for the day, and he wanted Lavinia to uphold her promise and explain the tiny creature on her shoulder.

Amari had been searching for Oonugh for many years, after hearing of his being lost in the Giant's Cave long ago. He'd even ventured there himself a few times, but had unsuccessfully located the Orc. Why the strange rabbit-like creature that Lavinia had adopted for a pet could transform into a brown-skinned version of his old companion, he wanted an explanation for, and he wanted one right now.

He barged into the room Cesa had told him Lavinia was staying in without a knock on the door, earning a look of surprise from the occupants. Ichigo's leg had been injured by shrapnel from the Wild Hog cannon during the siege, and was lying in bed waiting treatment from a healer. She wasn't wounded critically, luckily, and sat up in bed with a bandage wrapped around her thigh. Lavinia, having been Ichigo's traveling companion and magic teacher for a year, had been requested to stay by her side. Junk Pixie sat next to Ichigo's bed, and echoed the same surprised look the other two wore as Amari stomped in.

Embarrassed by their expressions, Amari coughed once into his hand and then cleared his throat, trying to recover his air of maturity. "I'm awaiting your explanation of the rodent in your hair." He said indignantly, smoothing the skirt of his Dark Crystal robes. Lavinia sighed, hoping he would've forgotten until the siege was over.

"This…" she began, reaching around her neck and plucking the dragon-rabbit from where it slept in her hair, "…is Oon. A year ago he was an Orc named Oonugh, which I realize after reading a certain old diary, was a friend of yours so no need to explain your connection to him." The creature, which Ichigo had decreed was a 'Drabbit', was displayed as Lavinia lifted her hand. He was curled into a ball as he tried to sleep, and opened one sleepy eye to survey his surroundings. Amari stared at it without expression for several heartbeats before lifting a hand and laughing. Loud, nearly hysterical laughter sounded through the room. The two Dwarves joined in, always loving a good laugh even though they didn't understand the reason for it.

"That isn't Oonugh." Amari stated in amusement, his laughter dying a bit. Lavinia met his gaze unflinchingly as he tried to stare the truth out of her, and his smile faded. "That is not Oonugh!" he said angrily this time. Oon lifted his head with the sound of Amari's voice and sniffed the air, his ears twitching, trying to decide of Amari was a threat or not.

"It is my father; Broud and I are witness to this." Sprissa's voice came. She stepped into the room daintily as Amari turned to face her. She approached him in an almost submissive manner, ducking her head down as she removed her veil to greet him properly. Behind her, filling the doorway with his bulk and blocking it, was Broud. Amari turned a bewildered look upon the younger Orc, immediately recognizing Oonugh's physical traits in his face. Sprissa lifted her head to smile politely at Amari, and held out a hand in goodwill. "I am Sprissa Zu Ghandi, I am pleased to finally make the acquaintance of the man my father spoke of fondly and my mother wrote of in her journal." Dumbstruck, Amari mechanically held out a hand to lightly tap Sprissa's in politeness.

"You're…both his kids?" Amari asked, unable to find anything else to say. Sprissa nodded, her smile warm.

"Yes, we both have the honor of calling Oonugh our father. Broud was born of the warrior's rite; I was born of his love for the Dark Elf Synshlee." Lavinia stiffened behind Amari, squeezing the hand that held Oon and making the creature squeak. Embarrassed as people turned to look at her, she looked down, placing the Drabbit in her lap, blushing. Hearing of Synshlee caused flames of jealousy to burn inside of her, although she tried hard not to let it be known, lest her friendship with Oonugh's daughter be strained.

"Synshlee was allowed to spawn twice?" Amari asked in disbelief, his mouth dropping open slightly. Now that he looked at her, Sprissa did hold many dainty traits that he remembered, with a wince, being part of Synshlee's beauty. Beautiful was a word he'd never admit Synshlee being to anyone, as the woman drove him mad enough to murder and his pride would never allow him to openly compliment her.

"You know my sister?" Sprissa asked, not hiding the eagerness in her voice. Broud shifted behind her, impatient from standing still for so long.

"Vuylay is here, she's been healing people all night though." Lavinia spoke up. She recalled the letter she'd found in Synshlee's diary, which was now stowed away in luggage locked up in the warehouse for safekeeping. She made a mental note to retrieve it once she had a chance to speak with Vuylay after the siege.

Sprissa's face lit up with this news and she clasped her hands under her chin, her eyes sparkling. At last, at last she'd meet the sister she faintly remembered her mother speaking of often! She did not worry that Vuylay would not be happy to see her, and she was elated that the final piece of her life that she always wished to make ties to was finally within reach!

"You can't be boobies' lady's sister; your boobies aren't nearly as fluffy and bouncy!" Junk Pixie spoke up. Sprissa first stared in shock, then blushed fiercely and ducked her head down with her words. Behind her, Broud echoed the blush, something that Amari noted with a quirked eyebrow.

"Junk Pixie, that's rude!" Ichigo scolded, shaking a finger at her older sister. "You know Mama said that all Dark Elves boobies are fake! I'll bet Sprissa's boobies are tons bigger than Vuylay's REAL boobies!" Amari's face turned red, joining the Orcs as he unwillingly thought of what the dwarves were saying. Lavinia sighed heavily and put a hand to her forehead to massage away the budding headache.

"Hmm…you're probably right. I think I heard panties lady say they were small for real once…green lady's boobies are all natural and tons bigger!" Junk Pixie agreed, nodding. The red ponytail on the side of her head swung back and forth as she nodded, swishing against her cheek.

"Can we please stop speaking of Sprissa's breasts?" Broud asked, his voice strained. Sprissa had replaced her veil in her embarrassment, and stared down at her hands, which she weaved together at waist level.

"So…this really is Oonugh then…?" Amari asked uncertainly, changing the subject and kneeling in front of Lavinia. "How did he get this way?" he asked softly, holding a hand out for the creature to climb upon. The eyes of the Drabbit were definitely similar to his old Titan friend.

"That's…a long story." Lavinia said with a nervous half-grin. Oon sniffed Amari's fingers before hesitantly climbing onto the palm of his hand. "It starts in the Giant's Cave and ends in Cruma Tower, and has a pair of psychopathic Dark Elf twins in between…"

"I will never escape the shadow of those two." Amari said in a dark tone, his eyes shutting into thin lines of annoyance. He opened them again and stared into the gray eyes of the Drabbit, trying to judge the intelligence level of the creature. Was it really still Oonugh in there, or had it reduced to a mind akin to a rabbit? The Drabbit hiccupped as Amari stared, a tiny fireball erupting from its mouth and singeing the bits of Amari's hair that hung close to it. He stared at the creature with large eyes, never in a million years expecting it to breathe fire.

Lavinia giggled despite the shock on Amari's face, then sighed and glanced away. Today had been the first time she'd seen Oonugh's form again in over a year, and it hurt her heart. She'd almost forgotten that Oon was really an Orc in the time that had passed, but now that she'd seen his true form once again, she yearned for the Drabbit to return to it. She remembered Paagrio's words to her when he recreated the Orc, and wondered with a surge of panic if the love she showed the Drabbit was not enough to return him to his true form for longer than a few moments. She didn't even really understand Paagrio's words to her when he first spoke them, and had just been acting on what she hoped it meant.

"Have you talked to mama recently?" Junk Pixie asked her sister in a hushed voice. Everyone was distracted talking to one another or in their own worlds, giving the two Dwarves some privacy. Ichigo shook her head, her eyes large. The only time a Pixie spoke in such a tone of voice was when something bad had happened, and Ichigo was afraid of the impending news. Junk Pixie sighed, her brow knitted in worry, an expression that no one outside of her own family had seen her face take. "Shana went missing almost a month ago. Mama was afraid that she'd run away again, but Spore and the Midgets disappeared at the same time, and they wouldn't run away." Tears welled in Ichigo's eyes as she stared at her sister, instantly scared for her siblings. "Nanaka went out looking for them a few weeks ago and found out from some people at the old railroad station that a slave caravan went by around the time Shana disappeared, and many kids from Schuttgart and our village were taken…" Ichigo gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. Slave traders were more common in Elmore than they were in Aden, although it was rare for them to travel so far north in search of slaves.

"Mama thinks Shana, Spore and the Midgets were taken?" Ichigo whispered in a tiny voice. Junk Pixie stared down at her hands as they clenched and unclenched, not wanting to answer her sister. She didn't want to tell her how a slaver caravan was found in Rune territory, everyone in the caravan slaughtered, including the slavers. Shana and their sibling's bodies weren't found amongst the remains, but a strange phenomenon had happened a few days before the caravan's discovery, where the sky and earth had turned red for a few seconds, and everything shook as if in an earthquake. Mama had a bad feeling that her babies were connected to that, and Junk Pixie shared it.


	16. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

_In which the battle ends and there is a time of calm_

The army was roused from sleep before the sun had fully risen, and set up into the formation that the men had devised the night before. Due to heavy casualties amongst his group, Damascus and what remained of his group were put on backup. The first wave of attack would be taken on by half of Haibane and Manhattan Project. Zaken's zombies had retreated back to their island, ignoring Zaken's previous command to stay out of sight but await his return.

"Mutinous bastards." He was heard muttering as they marched towards the castle.

"You seem to have a problem with that." Komugi responded, several feet behind him. Those who recognized and accepted him as truly being the Grand Pirate snickered; knowing what she spoke was true.

Four hours after they left Heine, they arrived on the edge of the castle's outer courtyard, a new siege flag in Ryonai's hand. He erected it without a word, the adrenaline from yesterday's battle long since faded into precise logic. He was going to keep his head this time, and he was going to get that castle.

"So you're sure you can't do that spinney-sword thing anymore?" Arvalo asked, glancing at Zaken. He'd been shocked nearly to petrifaction when they were introduced, as it was his clan that had ventured deep into Devil's Isle many times years before to try and rid the world of a perceived menace by killing him. Zaken sighed in irritation and looked to the sky, as if attempting to gain strength from it. The multiple attempts on his life were still a very fresh pride wound, and it took many warning glares from Komugi to keep him from fighting the Spellsinger in revenge.

"I told you already, I was separated from that curse and with it went my power." He said bitterly. Arvalo nodded and then inched away from Zaken, remembering how strong the pirate had been as a vampire and not wanting to find out how much of that strength remained. He still wielded dual rapiers as before, never quite getting the hang of dual swordsmanship and preferring his strange fencing swordplay to it. Zaken had pulled his old coat from the warehouse storage of Heine before they'd left the city, finding that wearing it was perfect intimidation to those around him. It also helped him regain the feel of what he used to be, and he felt he could fight better with it on.

"You're a grouchy man." Shizuka said, blinking at him innocently. Zaken's head whipped around to look at her with a glare, and Komugi put a hand on his arm.

"Isn't he? We're working on that though." Komugi said, glancing up at him with another warning glare. Zaken narrowed his eyes as Shizuka giggled and twirled as she joined Ryonai at the front.

"She smells of the abyss." Zaken murmured, staring at the back of Shizuka's pink head. Komugi glanced up at him in surprise, releasing his arm. "Stay away from her as we fight, I don't trust her." He said, moving into the formation Ryonai had previously commanded them into.

The loud sound of a clanging bell rang out over the courtyard and Ryonai held his sword up. "They know we're here, lets move!" Ryonai shouted. A chorus of battle yells responded to his shout, and the first wave of his army flew out to meet the force of defenders that poured out from behind the castle.

"Battering force, advance!" Arvalo shouted, positioned fifty feet to Ryonai's right. He held up his sword as a second wave of attackers poured out around him, their focus the castle doors. The earth began to shake as something large, no several large something's, took steps towards the castle. Large siege golems that the Dwarves had hurried to make the night before stepped over Arvalo and towards the castle gate. Arvalo smiled triumphantly, his hair blowing with the wind the giant wooden machines made with their movement.

"YEAH SMASHY TIME!" Ichigo cried from the shoulder of one of the golems. She'd never put her golem-building knowledge to use other than a small one to help her in battle here and there, and she was a bundle of excitement. It began to occur to those on the ground as Ichigo directed her slow-moving golem towards the castle doors, that putting the young Warsmith in charge of her own golem might've been a bad idea.

"Remember to hit the door!" Junk Pixie shouted from the ground. She sighed and shook her head as Ichigo ignored her and did a hand stand on the Golem's massive shoulder and then a skipping dance.

Another wave of defense emerged from the back of the castle, dragging the large Premo Prime along with them. He roared from the center of their group and began to smack Ryonai's clan and the defending clan with his large ball mace. Never one of great intelligence, Premo just saw people fighting, and followed the instructions he'd been given, not bothering to try and determine which was friend.

He paused mid swing as one of his double heads took notice of Zaken as his coat flared. He smacked his other head with his hand to get its attention. Both heads wore expressions of delight as he dropped the oversized ball mace and began racing in Zaken's direction.

"MASTER!" he bellowed, the ground rumbling now from both the golem's steps and Premo's running. "MY MASTER!" The color drained from Zaken's face as he recognized Premo's voice, and he spun quickly to avoid Premo as he tried to hug him.

"Why aren't you in the tower?" Zaken exclaimed, less than happy to see the creature. He ducked under the meaty arms as Premo tried to hug him again. "I'm not your master you oversized bulk of stupidity!" he stabbed Premo's arm, the giant's creation letting out a gurgle of pleasure despite the gush of blood that poured out of his wound.

Ryonai cursed under his breath as he waited with the third wave while two of the dwarves beat down the castle gates with their golems, and the second force took out those perched on the damaged ramparts. Ichigo cheered as she had her Golem beating on one of the castle walls, the great wooden machine submerged in the moat up to its waist. Ryonai winced as the damage to the castle climbed in cost, and covered his face with his hand. Ichigo definitely received an F in golem driving.

There was a cheer as the golem's fists finally paid, both castle gates falling from their hinges. Hope surged through Ryonai's body and his heart began to pound. The defending force outside of the castle was nearly beaten, Premo was distracted by Zaken and the gates were down! Now all that was left was the inner gates and…

There was a loud roar of voices that drowned out even the sound of the siege golems from inside of the castle. In a great wave of bodies a new force surged from inside, the Dame of Innadril sending out a quick summons for help overnight. Two alliances had come together to help the defending clan, and now they poured out in one great rush.

"GET OUT OF HERE!" Vlad's voice could be heard somewhere from the sea of bodies. Ryonai stared as the new force overtook his, bodies lanced and cut, blood and organs staining the courtyard grass and sand red. He suddenly felt weak, and his arm dropped limply to his side. Knowing that Ryonai was in a stupor from this unexpected turn of events, Arvalo stepped forward and began barking commands of defense in his stead.

"Sharmin!" Gatz shouted as he came across her fighting for her life against five different people. She had been stabbed in her side and tried to hold it and defend herself at the same time. Shouting in frustration and anger, Gatz swung his spear as quickly as he could, trying to take out as many people as possible in wide circles. There was a blur of black and glinting metal as suddenly Terebel slid into the melee around Sharmin. He fought in a flurry of sharpened metal clanging off of armor and shields, impressing Gatz with the speed of his footwork.

"Get her out of here!" Terebel shouted, not looking at them. Gatz nodded and lifted Sharmin easily and rushed her towards where Ryonai stood with the third wave and healers. Narlafayn met them halfway with Maeve, who began healing without question.

"Ryonai, call a retreat, we're going to die!" Leon shouted, trying to protect the healers of the second wave. Ryonai could only stare dumbly, his eyes unfocused. How could he have not seen this? How could he have not planned for them to have allies? What did he overlook? Why was he still there anyway?

He slowly turned his head as Shizuka moved from his side, stepping towards the fray. She walked slowly, not afraid of getting wounded by a stray arrow or magic spell. She slowly lifted her arms, as if to embrace the battle, and tilted her face towards the sky.

"Eter anguloce, nure nin conn!" she breathed. Her voice was so soft, so whispery, but Ryonai found he heard it clearly as if she'd spoken from within him. Recognizing the language, Maeve lifted her head quickly, her eyes large.

"What?" she breathed, not believing what she'd just heard the Light Elf whisper. There was a second of silence, as if all of the sound had been sucked into a vacuum space, then suddenly the ocean near the castle exploded in a city-sized waterspout. There was an unearthly roar, and from the center of the watery explosion emerged the blue dragon that Shizuka had brought Ryonai to speak with a few days prior; Fafurion.

The field erupted into chaos as both attacker and defender alike struggled to be as far away as possible from the dragon as he crawled onto land. The mighty beast lowered his head into the mass of bodies with his mouth open, scooping up a mouthful of the defending clan. Somehow his large jowls missed anyone from Ryonai's clan, and they scrambled to safety. Blood and innards showered the ground as Fafurion ate, and several people lost their lunches, some their sanity. The dragon stomped into the fray, his webbed, clawed feet taking out those that he didn't have time to eat. His head bobbed as he struggled to swallow the mouthful of metal and armor, some people swallowed alive and trying to cut their way through the dragon's throat. His insides were made of acidic water however, and their fighting didn't last long past his esophagus.

"Come, hurry!" Shizuka said with a giggle, as if this were some grand game and not a mass of carnage and horror. Fafurion took a breath and breathed out a spray of water, the force of it ripping through people's armor and skin as if the spray was made of tiny razor sharp rocks and not water at all. Ryonai could only watch as Fafurion continued to eat through the castle's defenses, his tail taking out a line of archers that attempted to wound him.

Shizuka pulled Ryonai through the castle gates, the inside strangely devoid of defenders save a few of his clan fighting what was left behind. Ichigo had burst through a wall finally at the side of the castle, and had directed her golem to beat down the inner castle gates.

"Good job, Dwarf!" Shizuka called as one of the inner gates fell. Ryonai looked at her without expression, her voice not sounding like what he knew at all. He was in a state of shock; first the surge of additional defenders cutting through his people, then the assistance they were suddenly receiving from the water dragon was too much for him to handle at that moment.

A smaller group of bodyguards ran at them with a shout as Shizuka dragged Ryonai into the throne room of the inner castle. Recovering enough to defend himself, Ryonai clashed swords with the first of the three Orcish protectors. Shizuka took a step backwards and elegantly extended her hand, pointing at the other two. A blur of red dashed in through the doors and breezed past them and back out. The Orcs let out twin cries of pain as their legs were bisected at the knees, and they crashed to the ground.

"N...no!" the Dame of Innadril whimpered, crawling up onto her throne in a feeble attempt at staying away from them. Shizuka gave her a dark look and quietly whispered a spell. She made a flicking motion with her fingers, and the Dame's eyes rolled up into the back of her head. A small white orb appeared by her as she slumped in the chair, Shizuka merely causing her to fall asleep.

Ryonai immobilized the Orc he fought with a sword through the shoulder and side, and panted as he stared at his bloody sword. He was really inside the castle! What was he supposed to do now? He looked around the cathedral like throne room, idly remembering Terebel telling him about a wedding he'd dropped a previous lover off at in that very same place.

"This way." Shizuka said with a warm smile, taking him by the wrist and leading him around the throne. There was a secret door blocked by the width of the chair, and Shizuka pulled him through it.

There was a great grey room at the other end of the short hallway the doorway led into, at the center of it a ramp that led up to a statue of a woman holding a crystal above her head. This was the ancient inscription statue, something which many a Lord had inscribed their name upon to become the ruler of the lands of Innadril. There was a magical contract binding the person who inscribed upon it to the land, making them the rightful rulers until someone else came to inscribe their name. Ryonai never expected to see it, and it took a gentle tug from Shizuka before he remembered what he'd come there to do.

There was a flare of power as Ryonai laid his hands upon the stone, and winced as the stone burned with heat. It would take a bit of his blood and a bit of his skin to recognize his bloodline as the rightful ruler, and then inscribe his name after it melded with it; he merely had to endure the pain to be recognized. A coward who could not endure a little burning pain could never be Lord over a land, and Ryonai let out a strangled cry of pain as he forced himself through it.

There was a great flash of light that filled the inscribing room, and suddenly a great silence befell the land. Ryonai was knocked away from the stone and onto his bottom. He raised his hand, a perfect red burn upon it in the shape of his handprint on it. Shizuka knelt by his side and took the wounded hand in hers, a glow surrounding them as she healed.

"Welcome, Lord of Innadril." She said in a soft voice, smiling. Ryonai blinked at her with large eyes, and then focused on the statue over Shizuka's shoulder. There, carved neatly in the base of the statue were the words "The Territory of Innadril recognizes: Lord Ryonai Ladd-Innadril." Ryonai's lips parted slightly in shock at his new name, and a smile slowly spread on his face. He laughed aloud and hugged Shizuka tightly as the realization that his dream had come true. He laughed long and heartily, and when he was exhausted with that, he cried.

The days following the siege were ones of business and hurrying. People scrambled about Heine, those loyal to the former ruling clan trying to leave the city as quickly as they could. No one wanted to challenge a clan that had the dragon Fafurion on its side, and many feared that the new young Lord of Innadril would use the dragon to fulfill his law. It seemed that many peaceful days were ahead for Innadril territory, and by the looks of it Ryonai would rule for many years without any trouble.

Ryonai sent for his family the same day he gained the castle, and made sure they were put on a special ship that would take them directly from Talking Island to Heine. There were many things Ryonai had to do in his first hours as Lord, the chamberlain of the castle told him, before he could settle down and celebrate his victory. New contracts had to be made to not upset the manor system, and the taxes had to be adjusted according to Ryonai's liking. Paperwork had to be filled to notify everyone in the land of the change in lordship, including sending a political letter of goodwill to the current King of Aden.

Those people that did not have a residence set up elsewhere were given rooms in the castle, although most of Ryonai's clan already had homes in other towns. Cesa and Celleriant declined moving to Heine despite the lovely weather, deciding long ago that they'd raise Waverly as close to the forest as they could.

Their work finished, Manhattan Project, and Leon, Tithania and Oscuro bid Haibane farewell and returned to their own lives the day after the siege. Sharmin was not present for Leon's departure, Narlafayn realized as she stood with the others to say goodbye, but Leon smiled and said it was for the best. He and Narlafayn agreed to meet in Giran in a few days' time and hunt together just like old times.

Sprissa finally met Vuylay in the calm after the battle, happy and eager to be acquainted to her long-lost big sister. Vuylay was less than pleased, she admitted to Narlafayn later, to discover that her mother had doted upon a second daughter after abandoning her, but she tolerated the meeting with a convincing business face.

Lavinia finally delivered the letter that had dropped out of Synshlee's diary after the two sisters met, and handed over the diary as well. Frowning yet curious, Vuylay slipped away from her friends as they chatted in Heine's square to the pleasure boat docks on the other side of the Temple of Eva to read.

The diary left her in tears as she read it, finally knowing what had happened to her mother after all of those years. She had never known if she were alive or dead until then, and some part of her wished she had continued living in ignorance. Wiping the tears from her face she sniffled loudly and moved to the letter next, slipping her finger underneath the flap of the envelope and sliding it across to open it. She held the parchment up, recognizing her mother's sloppy shorthand even though she hadn't seen it for over forty years.

Vuylay, it began,

By the time you read this, I'll probably be long dead. You're glad of that, aren't you? I don't blame you; I was a sorry excuse for a mother towards you.

Vuylay rolled her eyes and sniffled, wiping a stray tear that had slipped down her cheek. "You always were quick to accuse me of hating you." She said, her voice still wavering with unshed tears. Taking another breath she cleared her throat and returned to reading. Evening had fallen, and if she took her time she'd loose light to read by.

If you haven't met her already, I had another girl, a sister for you. Her name is Sprissa; she'll be an Orc of the Duda-Mara tribe when she grows up. Her father, Oonugh, is quite possibly the only man I'll ever love in this lifetime. I'm sorry now that I couldn't have been a kinder mother towards you, having Sprissa has shown me how easy it is to be. I love her with all of my heart and soul, and I want her to grow up knowing that she was born out of love, not lust. They say we Dark Elves are unable to love, but I know now that is just a lie born out of the fear of the uncontrollable.

You won't like to hear this, but I feel that I must tell you the truth…I hated you, Vuylay. I hated the scorn you earned me while I was pregnant, and I hated the way you were still abnormal, even after Shilen intervened.

Vuylay's brow knitted together as she read this paragraph, never before hearing of Shilen intervening with her life. She continued reading, her heart thudding in her chest in dread; what was that Synshlee was telling her?

I don't know how much you know by now, but you are only half of the abomination which I gave life. The other half was taken by Shilen after she split the child into two beings, and raised who knows where. Perhaps Shilen wanted a non-demonic daughter herself, I'll never know. But you should know that those strange feelings you get are most likely things you're experiencing from your other half, I know this now.

"I know I'm not an entire person you bitch, you don't have to remind me." Vuylay said in a dark tone, glaring at the parchment as her hand trembled. She had never been told that she and Shizuka were two halves of a whole, but somehow both women had always known, deep within their souls. However, finding out that Shilen had been the one to originally split them was news to her that had lit a fire of rage inside of her. Had Shizuka known all along that Shilen had been the one to split them? Just how much did Shizuka know, anyway?

I suppose I should explain why my baby was split in the first place. Once upon a time, when I was a young, foolish child, I had fallen into the seductive trap laid by an amorous god disguised as a Dark Elf. Yes Vuylay, you are half wind-god. Your father is Sayha himself.

Vuylay's trembling became more pronounced, and she stared at the parchment in wide-eyed shock.

You must know that, should you and your other half meet, the only way you can become whole again is to—

Vuylay let out an anguished cry and crumpled up the letter. She threw it as hard as she could into the ocean and then buried her head in her arms, which rested upon her knees. She was NOT the child of Sayha! Such a cruel final joke Synshlee had set up for her. The bitch must really enjoy hurting her, even from the Abyss!

Ryonai paused in the back doorway of the temple and shifted, unsure of how to approach Vuylay willingly. She had her head buried and appeared to be crying again. Ryonai sighed heavily, wondering if she were crying over him. He'd managed to escape the endless pile of paperwork the chamberlain had piled up already, and was relieved to see Vuylay. Shizuka had disappeared to the beach with Valimos, his girlfriend, Komugi, Zaken and Sharmin to swim leaving him with little to no companionship at the time.

"Are you ok?" he finally mustered up the courage to ask. Vuylay's head shot up quickly, startled by his presence. She wiped at her face hastily and stood up, embarrassed to be seen in such a state. Ryonai cleared his throat as she brushed her white and silver skirt off. On Dark Elves, the Divine robe set was styled around a strange thong leotard which had the leg holes cut high past her waist, a half-jacket and a skirt that was long on one side and sloped up to a thin strip of fabric on the other. It appealed to Ryonai more than he had expected it to, and he had to avert his eyes.

"Yes, I'm fine." She responded, not looking at him. "I don't know where Shizuka is, sorry." She answered mechanically, used to Ryonai only seeking her out to find Shizuka.

"I wasn't looking for Shizuka, actually." Ryonai said with a nervous smile. Vuylay raised her head again, this time surprised. He rubbed the back of his head, suddenly feeling very awkward. "You uh…promised to explain the connection between you and Shizuka, remember?" he said, grasping desperately at the only thing he could think of to prompt conversation between them. Vuylay's face fell slightly, but she recovered quickly and smiled.

"Yes, I remember." She said, clasping her hands behind her back and walking next to him as they made their way back through the temple. She had hoped he'd sought her out for another reason, but she supposed this was as good as any. She would tell him everything she knew…except the parts about her father being Sayha and the fact that it had been Shilen whom had split them. There were some things that no one, not even the person she had fallen in love with, needed to know.

Several nights later, as the moon was high in the sky, Shizuka emerged from the Lord's bedroom onto the balcony that overlooked the ocean and stretched. She wore a filmy goldenrod colored robe that blew in the breeze, and took a deep breath of the salty air.

It was a beautiful view of the ocean from the balcony, the moon played on the waves like sparkling lines of silver. The air was comfortably cool, and fresh. It was no wonder Ryonai had chosen such a place to be his, it was rich in essence, just like him.

A content smile on her face, Shizuka turned slightly to glance at the large bed behind her. Ryonai laid on his back, naked down to where the sheet covered him at his waist, one arm splayed out where Shizuka had been laying. Next to him on the opposite side, lying on her stomach, was Vuylay. It puzzled Shizuka, but since the first night of his being Lord of Innadril, he'd suddenly become comfortable about inviting Vuylay to their bed. Not that Shizuka minded you see, because after all, Vuylay was her, just a night-colored version of her.

Her smile faded and her eyes narrowed slightly as she gazed at Vuylay. It always struck Shizuka as odd, that Vuylay would so closely resemble a Dark Elf when she seemed 100% Light Elf. Vuylay's rich violet hair was unbound and trailed across Ryonai's chest in strands, and Shizuka had to resist the urge to race over and pull them as hard as she could. Perhaps grab a handful and press it higher until it was around Ryonai's…

"Shizuka." A deep voice whispered from the balcony. Her face brightening into pure joy, Shizuka spun around. Crouched on the railing of the balcony was a man with earth-brown hair that was so tightly curled against his head it looked like tiny pebbles against his scalp. He had a dark beard that was made of similar curls, giving the same effect. His skin was a soil kind of brown, and his eyes were slit, just like a reptile's. He wore richly decorated clothes that looked as if they'd been pilfered from the dead, with how dusty and ragged they were.

"Oh I'm so happy to see you!" she said in delight, falling onto the man and hugging him. He gave no motion to hug her in return, or even let his expression show if he were happy to see her as well. He waited patiently until Shizuka had gotten over her spell of clinginess and pulled away to look at him square in the eye. This man was always direct, and did not like to bother with the trivialness of emotions when they were not needed.

"I see you are still amusing yourself amongst this lot." The brown man said, glancing to the bedroom behind her. Shizuka grinned and nodded vigorously like a child excited to see a favorite uncle. The man tsked and shut his eyes as he sighed, her reaction always the same. He never understood why she was always so happy to see him; he'd never shown her anything in the form of kindness. In fact, he hated her and wished nothing more than to bite into the perfect lily-white of her tender neck, consume her flesh and drink of her rich, wine-like Elf blood. But that wasn't saying much, this man hated everyone and took pleasure in the dead. He was that corrupt.

"Am I to go home now?" Shizuka asked eagerly, her eyes sparkling with hope. To her dismay the man shook his head, and her shoulders fell.

"Not now but soon." The man added with words, not wanting to deal with her having another clinging spell out of sadness. "She has sent a new toy to play in Giran. You can go watch if you'd like, but you're not to interfere." Shizuka's sparkling eyes returned, and she latched onto the man in another hug. She kissed his lips enthusiastically and hugged him again, laughing in joy. "I do hope you've done your job while you've been out here playing." The man said in a flat voice, not amused by her affection.

"Of course I have, I've long since done everything asked of me!" Shizuka said with a pout, sticking out her lower lip. The brown man regarded her skeptically for a moment before shrugging. Shizuka lifted her hands and began to play with his ears, which were long and pointed like hers, only they curved along the shape of his head. Buried in the mess of tight curls on his head were two short horns, the only thing that gave away his true form. Shizuka loved to search through his hair to find them normally, but today she restrained herself, knowing that her visitor mustn't linger too long.

"I will return to claim you soon." The man said as Shizuka stepped away from him. He fell backwards off of the balcony, a mound of earth rising up to meet him from below. He disappeared into the sandy soil as if it were water; the ground rippling after his body disappeared through it. Shizuka leaned over the balcony railing and watched as the earth settled itself again in wonder, always fascinated by the brown man's departure. She stood up straight again and stretched her hands towards the moon, suddenly feeling as if everything were all right in the world.


	17. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

_In which the next scene begins, and Terebel laments interruptions_

Somewhere, high upon a mountain, Sayha came to rest. He'd been flying for days, and was weak with exhaustion. That was one thing that truly puzzled him about his godhood, if he were truly the omnipotent being that his mother taught him they were, why did he succumb to the mortal ailments such as this when he'd merely flown for a few weeks?

A spirit light followed him and elongated into a humanoid shape as it hovered nearby him. Now dressed in an exotic, full, filmy skirt of deep green and black that slit up both sides to reveal her legs to her hips, and a wide strip of fabric criss-crossed around her chest to bind her breasts, Synshlee stood tall and glanced around the area where they stood, trying to recognize it. Her hair was unbound and blew about her head in swirls, the wind strong here as it tried to protect the god it obeyed.

"Thank you…for helping me." Sayha said in a low voice. He struggled with his pride, still angry over the injury she'd given him in Cruma Tower all those years ago. It was his spear that had sent her to the Abyss, and it surprised him that she would so willingly assist him now.

"That old wound hurts so bad that you can no longer speak loudly?" Synshlee asked, her eyelids lowered as she looked down at him. Sayha looked up at her in anger, his eyes flashing gold like rays of sun through clouds. He stood to his full height, which was feet taller than Synshlee, and looked down at her in turn. It puzzled him, somewhere underneath his temper, that she still kept the form of her last life. Most spirits returned to the form that they had at the beginning of time once they were in the Abyss._ There must be something still tying her to the mortal plane,_ he thought.

"You should be honored that I even acknowledged your assistance, spirit of my sister's design. I would normally have left you in the Abyss after I found the freedom of the air once more." Sayha said in a hard voice. After his father had destroyed his original helmet he used to hide his beauty, Sayha had instead adopted a simple white mask to cover his eyes. One gold streak ran down the side of it, over the left eye. It was a plain mask, but he felt no need to over decorate himself when he tried so hard to be plain.

"I see your arrogance has not changed at all in the passing of time." Synshlee countered with a smug grin. Sayha turned away from her with a hissing noise, regretting that he'd accepted her assistance in escape. Shilen would've released him eventually, perhaps after she mauled him in post-intercourse contentedness. His stomach gave a lurch of unhappiness when he thought about Shilen and his father together, and he winced against it.

"Why did you assist me, woman? We are enemies." Sayha said, his voice coming out weary. Synshlee stepped around him to gaze into his eyes seriously, haughtiness no longer detectable within her expression.

"The voices of the Abyss whisper that Shilen's power is growing. They say she has an agent in the mortal plane, undetectable by all, releasing her seals. They say the one who will destroy the world has appeared, weapon of despair in hand. They say that the demon bound is on the move, sword of god destruction within grasp. Only one of these things pertains to you and me, Sayha. Shilen is using half of our child for her own means; she has been this entire time." Synshlee said, not blinking as her eyes bore into his. Sayha's eyebrows twitched together, unseen under the cover of his mask.

"What do you mean half? I have been purposefully protecting my daughter from her gaze all of these years. She is safe upon the mortal plane." Sayha said with a frown. Synshlee's eyelids lowered again into a haughty glare and she shook her head slowly.

"Your child was split into two upon birth Sayha, Shilen took one half with her after she used the magic to create two." She said in an almost angry tone of voice. Sayha stumbled backwards with this, again his godly powers had failed him; how could he have not sensed the split in power? Of course…it was Shilen all along…hiding it from him.

Rage began to build inside of him and razor sharp feathers began to sprout from his body as he lost control over his humanoid form. All of this time he'd gone along with this game of his sisters, when really it was just a cover to distract him and his siblings from her true goal. What a conniving naga she truly was, a manipulator to the very end. The only one, whom seemed to realize her true intentions, now that Sayha thought about it, was Gran Kain himself. He wondered if she hadn't planned this from the very beginning of her exile, and had merely waited for someone in her family to impregnate a mortal to put it into motion.

"We must prepare." Sayha said, his face taking on the form of a monstrous bird. Synshlee nodded and returned to the spirit light form as Sayha flapped his mighty wings and took to the sky once more. He knew that he was going to be alone in this fight, but he would make it so Shilen would regret ever toying with her own family, this he swore.

"…after the Anniversary, he and I have been traveling together. That's it in a nutshell." Komugi finished her tale by stretching her arms and legs out at the same time. She sat with Sharmin underneath a tall oak tree in Giran, near the Orc Guild. It was the most secluded place in the city, everywhere else crawling with people. The two girls had spent the past day in Giran catching up with one another on everything that had happened to them in their time apart. Sharmin had finally swallowed her shame and told Komugi of what had happened to her outside of Oren. Komugi had burst into tears during the story and had raced out of the inn in a mad search for the men involved. It had taken a stern talking from Zaken to calm her down and bring her back in, although Komugi swore that she would find the men if Sharmin wouldn't, and take revenge upon them.

It was evening now, the hot afternoon cooling with a pleasant breeze off of the ocean. Sharmin, Gatz, Komugi, Zaken, Terebel and Narlafayn had all bid farewell to Ryonai and Heine earlier that morning and ventured to Giran via the Gatekeeper. Narlafayn was suddenly eager to return to her strength training with Leon, and everyone else had just followed for lack of a better plan. Currently Narlafayn, Leon, Gatz and Zaken had all ventured out to train together, leaving the sisters to catch up. Terebel had declined on accompanying the hunting group, and it seemed to Sharmin that he wasn't too happy with Narlafayn for a reason she couldn't pinpoint.

It was hard on Sharmin's emotions to be so close to Leon, yet so far away, but she forced herself to remain composed in his presence. Even though it had been crush-driven on her side, they had been friends, and she hoped that they could return to that one day. She had to show him she was strong, she knew, before he would even glance at her again.

"You've seriously had more of an adventure than I've ever had." Sharmin said, awestruck. Komugi puffed out her chest in pride, absorbing Sharmin's awe and inflating her ego.

"Don't worry 'Min, you'll have an exciting adventure soon enough, I'm sure." Komugi said in a childish voice, leaning her head on her sister's shoulder. Sharmin smiled nervously at her and chuckled lightly. She was fine being awestruck by her sister's tale, but she wasn't sure she'd want to experience one like it. Komugi was strong of heart, Sharmin was sure she would've broken down a few times if she had to experience what Komugi did. Sharmin stood up to stretch stiff muscles, feeling light and free of all burdens. She stumbled as a body hit hers from behind, and turned to look over her shoulder in surprise.

"Excuse you." Komugi said icily as the body fell to its knees. A girl looked up at them angrily from underneath the hood of a cape, her eyes flashing with her temper. She seemed to have a great bulk on her back, although it was impossible to discern what it was. From where Sharmin stood she could see a swath of flame red hair peeking out from underneath the edge of the hood.

"I'm sorry…" Sharmin said with a smile, leaning down and offering the girl a hand. "I didn't mean to step in your way." The girl glanced at Sharmin's hand before smacking it away. Komugi gasped in disbelief, and the girl jumped to her feet and dashed into the city, disappearing into the crowd.

"How rude!" Komugi said, glaring in the direction the girl went. "I've decided I don't like that girl; not only is she a bitch but she looks like the spitting image of a pre-teen Koyori."

Sharmin pursed her lips in thought as she tried to make out the girl's form pushing through the crowd. There was a strange aura to the girl, one that left Sharmin feeling tense with dread.

"Oh look, they're back!" Komugi exclaimed, noticing the party as they tromped past through a gate in the distance, and drawing Sharmin's attention. She jumped up and waved vigorously to catch their attention, her excitement slowly fading as she realized they were arguing with one another. "Uh oh…I wonder what's going on." Komugi mused grimly. Narlafayn seemed especially livid, and was arguing heatedly with Leon. Zaken and Gatz stood to the side, one looking annoyed by the situation while the other was very obviously confused.

Sharmin squinted at the party as Narlafayn waved her arms in agitation. Her eyes widened as a pair of guards marched past them, pulling along a shorter man struggling in hand locks. Ferrol struggled to be free of the guards, his hair disheveled and his clothes slightly bloody.

"No!" Sharmin exclaimed, dashing for the gate.

"'Min, come back!" Komugi cried as Sharmin sped off. She frowned and put her hands on her hips with a huff. Annoyed that Sharmin would just leave without an explanation she stomped off after her, her arms swinging in such a way that conveyed her chagrin.

"Stop, what are you doing?" Sharmin yelled as she pushed her way towards the guards. She grabbed Ferrol's arm and pulled, trying to help him get free.

"Sharmin!" Ferrol exclaimed, eyes large with shock at seeing her there.

"Restrain her!" one of the guards snapped. Another guard pushed through the crowd that had gathered, drawn by the sound of Narlafayn's angry voice. Sharmin found herself pushed down to one knee, her arms pinned behind her back.

"Hey!" Gatz shouted angrily, moving towards the guard whom had treated Sharmin so roughly. Another guard put an arm out to block his path, glaring at him with authority.

"Look at this Leon; you're causing a scene with your own friends over nothing!" Narlafayn spat, fuming in front of the Paladin. He regarded her without expression, hearing her words yet not hearing them at all.

"I explained to you already, Narlafayn, that my orders were very clear. This man is a criminal of the church and had to be apprehended, it is unfortunate that you can not understand this." Leon said in a clipped voice. It was cold and polite, the tone he usually took while conducting business.

"Take those two in for aiding and abetting!" a man dressed in Bishop's clothing snapped. Sharmin and Gatz looked around in confusion as they found themselves stripped of weapons and pushed after Ferrol.

"No!" Komugi cried, trying to fit her way through the crowd. "Zaken, stop them, Sharmin didn't do anything!" Leon held out a hand to stop the former Grand Pirate as he reached for his rapiers, and took a step forward.

"Bishop, these people have done nothing, why arrest them as well?" Leon said quickly, his eyes large. The Bishop turned a cold glare onto the Paladin, halting the guards for a moment with a slight lift of his hand.

"I will spell this out clearly for you, young man, since you are obviously not familiar with the declaration of the new Lord of Giran." The Bishop began snootily, taking measured steps towards him. "When the new Lord came into power, it was decreed that anyone seen supporting those wanted by the church would also be treated as criminals. We don't need proof these days to know a ruffian, just a mere slip of behavior will do. You will be wise to remember this should you wish to keep favor in the light of the church." The Bishop turned on heel and walked briskly in the direction of the church, waving his hand to make the guards move once more.

"You can't do this!" Gatz shouted, struggling against the guards' grip. "This city is mad; don't you know who I am?" Gatz never wanted to use his position as Sir Collin's nephew for anything, but if it kept him from being thrown into jail for merely being concerned over Sharmin getting treated roughly, he would.

"We could care less if you were the King of Elmore; you're still seen as a criminal now." The Bishop said, not looking over his shoulder. Narlafayn's voice joined several others in protest, but they could not move, as guards had moved in, forming a human wall and preventing anyone else from stepping out in assistance.

"Zaken!" Komugi cried again, pushing without success against the bodies lining the street. Zaken's face darkened and he crouched, his hands on his rapiers. Just before he propelled himself at the guards, a loud, whining buzz sounded through the air, throwing him off balance. He stumbled to one knee, one hand placed on the ground to keep him from falling and the other at his head. With the buzzing came an intense pain, and he winced. He was the only one who seemed to hear and be affected by it, by how people stared at him in confusion.

"Zaken, what are you doing?" Komugi shouted. Finally getting fed up with the two fat men whom wouldn't move out of her way, Komugi fell to all fours and bit them each on the ankle. Thinking that some beast had managed to make its way into the city the men yelped and jumped away, giving Komugi the room she needed to get to the center. "Let her go!" she shouted, running for the guards that restrained Sharmin.

"Komugi, don't." Sharmin snapped in a commanding voice. Komugi slid to a stop and stared at her, never before hearing Sharmin speak in such an authoritive tone. "I'll be alright, we'll get this figured out." She said, smiling. Komugi's hands, which had been outstretched to pull her from the guards' grip, fell limply to her sides, the energy draining from her. Hot tears stung her eyes as she watched her sister get taken away from her yet again, and she scrubbed her face hard with her arm.

"You'd better make sure no smarmy guard touches her, Gatz, or I'll kick you in the junk later!" Komugi shouted. Gatz froze mid-struggle, and managed to look at Komugi with large eyes before the guards pushed him into the church.

Far to the north, somewhere outside of Goddard, Mune stomped through mountainous, rocky terrain, growling deep in her throat. Evzen strolled next to her in a good humor, chatting mostly with himself about the different shapes of the clouds above them. They'd just passed through the Swamp of Screams quicker than normal; Mune was shocked when she discovered the swamp covered in dead Stakato bodies, and had hurried through it as fast as she could, lest the thing that had killed them find her.

Mune struggled to climb up onto a boulder and shakily stood up. Evzen held up a hand in caution as she wobbled, ready to catch her in case she should slip. She shot him a glare, warning him not to touch her, and he lowered his hand dutifully. Evzen had taken care not to touch her during their trip, or even breathe in her direction. He liked her better when she was of a neutral humor, and made sure he did everything on his part to keep her that way.

Mune glanced around the landscape with a thoughtful frown, trying to find a landmark she recognized. She clenched her teeth together as she realized nothing was familiar, not even the placement of the large rocks that had tumbled down from the sloping mountains around her.

"Are we lost?" Evzen inquired politely as Mune pulled her map from her bag to inspect it. When Mune did not answer him and continued to inspect her map with an intense stare he took a breath. "ARE WE LOST?" he called louder, in case she hadn't heard him.

"Evzen, do you know what the human slang term 'dummy up' means?" Mune asked idly, tracing a path on the map with her finger.

"Sure, it means to become silent." Evzen said after a moment of thought.

"Good, now apply that to your daily life." She snapped, shifting on the rock to try and figure out which direction was north. Evzen opened his mouth to question what she meant until it clicked in his head. He closed it again with a click of teeth and shrugged. They'd walked so quickly across the Swamp of Screams with little rest; Evzen couldn't say he minded any stop they made. He was, as he would humbly admit, not accustomed to a rough lifestyle of traveling everywhere on foot.

Sucking in a pained breath of air, he slid one foot from a shoe and winced. His feet were covered in seeping blisters that had long since rubbed open. Pulling the water canteen from his bag he sucked in another hiss of air as he poured the water over the wounds to help ease the burning. Evzen wished he could heal the lesions, but there were just some wounds that healers were taught to leave be, blisters being one of them. It was a common belief that tiny, insignificant wounds such as those were necessary on making a person stronger. Blisters would heal over, the thick skin that grew to protect the feet make it so the person could walk farther, longer.

His expression of relief faded as the comforting gush of water from the canteen trickled down to a few drops, and he opened his eyes curiously. Sighing in disappointment, his shoulders falling, he fanned his foot with his hand until it was dry enough to shove back in his shoe.

"I'm going to go find some more water." He announced, wincing as his foot throbbed unhappily with the weight. Her back still facing him, Mune waved a hand to shoo him and continued studying her map. Shifting his travel pack onto his shoulder he began to limp in a direction he hoped would yield a river or pool.

Evzen's eyes lit up as he rounded around the base of a sloping hill, spying a pool of water. Forgetting the canteen, he limped over to it as quickly as he could, shed his shoes and stuck both feet in the water. He shivered in relief as the cold water soothed the blisters on both of his feet, feeling as if he'd never be happier than he was at that moment.

"Mommy…" a weak cry came, followed by a sob. Evzen lifted his head and glanced around the rocky landscape, his ears straining. Another sob wafted from behind a boulder some odd feet away from him a few seconds later. Sighing in disappointment again, Evzen lifted his feet out of the pool and shoved them back into his shoes.

He walked cautiously towards the boulder, tales that his mother would tell him of bandits sometimes pretending to be lost travelers echoing through his memory. Peeking slightly over the rock, his eyes gazed upon not a bandit lying in wait, but upon a boy with strange, blue-gray hair. He gasped in surprise as he recognized Adolf, a well-known boy from his city that loved to play tricks on one of the city elders.

"Adolf, what are you doing all the way down here? Your mother must be worried sick!" Evzen exclaimed. Adolf lifted his head with a gasp, his eyes large. He fell onto his bottom from the crouch he'd been crying in and scooted away from him. Evzen crouched in front of him, confused by the boy's reaction. Evzen would play with the boy on a regular basis, why was he acting so afraid of him now? Had something awful happened to him? Had slavers taken him and he just escaped? Dozens of other scenarios flooded his brain, and Evzen reached out to the boy in worry. "It's ok Adolf, I'm here now." He said, concern creasing his face.

"Shit guys, this guy knows this kid's face!" Adolf suddenly said in a voice too masculine for his age. Evzen's eyes widened and he stood up quickly as a group of five Light Elves dropped down from where they hid in cliff crevices around him. They were all dressed in traveler's tunics, but Evzen could tell they were people of stature by the elegant bows and swords they carried.

"Adolf, what is this?" Evzen asked, turning to look at the boy. He gasped and took a step away as Adolf pushed himself to his feet, growing into the form of a sixth Light Elf. "Dark Elf glamour!" he breathed, his eyes large.

"FAIRY glamour, ash face! Don't disgrace the purity of the ancient beings with your putrice!" one of the Light Elves spat, making sure spittle hit Evzen in the face. He winced and bent over slightly, wiping at the eye the glob had landed in.

"Please sirs, I have no idea what your intention here was, but I merely wish to return to my city. If you'll allow me to pass I'll continue on my way, no harm done." Evzen said smoothly. He shook from fright, never before facing a group of hostile people such as this.

"Lookit this guy, he's actually shaking!" one of the Elves laughed, poking him roughly with the end of his bow. Evzen jerked from it and held up a hand of peace, rubbing the place where the man had shoved the bow end into his flesh.

"Where's that Dark Elf bloodlust huh? I thought you guys lived for a fight!" another jeered, poking him with the tip of his dagger. Evzen gasped in pain, and jumped away this time, shocked that someone would try to stab him.

"Please let me pass!" Evzen tried again, his voice louder. The elves stopped laughing amongst themselves to glance at one another. Evzen relaxed as they seemed confused by his reaction, and a glimmer of hope that he would be allowed to leave began to sparkle through the haze.

"Can you believe this guy? 'Please let me pass'" the elf that had poked him with the bow mocked, his voice high pitched. "Y'know, he's really pissing me off with that too-proper accent of his! He's not a Dark Elf at all, he's a little fag bag!"

"I'm inclined to agree, let's show this little fag how much of a mockery of his race that he is." Another said with a dark grin. Evzen looked at the faces of the Light Elves in fright as they closed in on him, raising his hands to shield himself. What was going on? Weren't Light Elves supposed to be the peaceful ones of the Elven race? They were really Light Elves…weren't they?

"Alright, let's get going!" Mune called, jumping off of the rock. She still wasn't sure how she managed to get so far off her original path, but she was pretty confident that she could work with it and still arrive in Goddard within a few days. When she received no answer of any sort from Evzen, she looked around the barren landscape with a frown. "Hey, where'd you go?" she called louder. Growling in her throat she shoved her map back into her travel pack. "I hope to goodness you didn't get lost trying to find water." She growled to herself, stomping in the direction she last remembered him walking in.

Her bag slipped from her shoulder as she came in view of the group of six Light Elven men. They were all kicking and stomping a figure huddled on the ground, laughing and jeering. From where Mune stood she could hear the sound of bones crunching and popping. The men stopped their kicking enough for one of the other men to shout an idea of humiliating their object of beating.

His friends pulled the figure from the ground and Mune gasped as a bloodied Evzen, his eyes swollen shut and face covered in blood, met her eyes. They cut the belt around Evzen's waist, his pants dropping to his ankles as one of the Light Elves reached for his own trousers, his friends positioning Evzen in front of him in a humiliating way. Her breath coming out in short gasps, not believing what she was seeing; Mune drew her swords and ran at the men with an anguished shout.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" she snarled, spinning as she swung her swords. The tip of the nose of the Light Elf that had one hand on his trousers went flying through the air, and he fell to the ground howling in pain. She fell into a crouch, one leg extended in a martial arts pose before rising back to her feet smoothly and swinging at one of the other men. He deflected both of her swords with a dagger, his eyes large with surprise, not expecting another Light Elf, let alone a woman, attack them on behalf of a Dark Elf. The dagger-wielding Elf let out a cry of pain as Mune's swords found his arm, cutting it deeply to the bone. Not missing a moment, she snarled and spun to face the next Elf, only to find a sword tip waiting for her, level with her nose.

"Mune Teristen, what do you think you're doing?" the cold voice of Sentinel Rayen came. Mune followed the length of the sword up to the wielders arm and then up to the face. Her eyes widened and lips parted slightly in shock, never expecting to see him out of the forest, let alone attacking a Dark Elf simply wandering. "You're disgracing your Village and race by defending this filth of Elmore, are you prepared for the consequences?" Mune shook with his words, struggling to keep a grip on her swords.

"I know exactly what I'm doing, question is do you, Sentinel?" Mune said evenly, her voice shaking. "I should have you know my grandfather is expecting my return in Goddard; how do you think he would like it if I told him you had taken it upon yourself to attack peaceful Dark Elves out of your hatred of them? In Elmore, no less?" This was a lie, Ballard was not in Goddard, but she needed something to help keep her from getting killed herself. She had always looked up to Rayen as a child, as a teen he'd been her first fierce crush. His hatred of Dark Elves had prompted her to react so strongly when her first kiss had been stolen by one at the Grand Saint's Day party, not just because she'd been saving it for Rayen.

"If we kill her, then she can't say anything." Rayen's companion whispered loudly, glaring at her. The other two Elves she had wounded were being tended to by the final two of the group of six, whom glared at Mune over their shoulders but made no move to attack her.

"You idiot, her grandfather is Ballard Felagund, you KNOW who he is." Rayen snapped angrily. His companion backed away with his hands raised, not wishing to start a fight. Rayen took a composing breath, his sword never lowering from where it was pointed Mune's face. "Alright Mune, you have me at a standstill. If I have your word that you will keep quiet, my companions and I shall be on our way." He sheathed his sword and then held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "You've made your point, and we've made ours on that garbage you seek to protect. This puzzles and somewhat wounds me Mune, for I thought you of all people in the Village understood what terrible creatures those things are." He turned away from her with that, his expression indeed one of disappointment and hurt, and motioned for his friends to follow him.

Mune dropped her swords as they disappeared around a great boulder, and crouched down to the ground, trying to quell the shivering of her body. She had just made an enemy of the only man to ever catch her attention, but for what? What was this noble from Schuttgart to her but a nuisance?

"Evzen, are you all right?" Mune asked, turning around and sliding a hand underneath his back to lift him to sit. She jerked her hand away as she felt wetness on his back, and her breath caught in her throat as her hand came away bloody. "Evzen?" she asked, her voice a little more desperate. He lay on his back, his eyes shut as if unconscious. Blood still seeped slowly from numerous wounds on his face, including from his nose, mouth and ears. Mune began to draw in panicked breaths of air as she realized Evzen wasn't breathing. "Evzen, wake up!" she cried, shaking him. She began to shake in fear as she realized she'd talked too long to Rayen; Evzen was slipping away.

"Oh great Eva, don't do this." She prayed, crawling as fast as she could across the graveled dirt for her travel pack. She made desperate sounds in her throat as she began tossing things out of it, looking for her scrolls. Finding the one she sought she crawled back, ignoring the pain of the rocks tearing into her knees and hands. Still trembling, she swallowed, trying to wet a suddenly dry mouth, and broke the seal on the scroll. It was the only magic scroll she had left, made to call back a soul from the abyss if they were within reach. Light burst from the scroll and a magic circle flared to life underneath Evzen, the magic working without her having to do anything but hold the parchment. "Please…please come back." She whispered without realizing what it was she said, tears welling in her eyes. She immediately justified her words with the reasoning that he didn't deserve to die like this, Dark Elf or no, not because she actually cared about him.

The light began to slowly fade from the scroll but yet he still lay there, unmoving. Mune swallowed hard against the lump in her throat and clenched her fists on top of the parchment. _Take some of my life if you have to, just bring him back!_ She screamed in her mind. Finally, to Mune's relief, an orb of light floated down from the sky and re-entered Evzen. His body flashed with light for a moment and he drew in a gasp of breath. Mune's joyful smile was replaced quickly by fear as Evzen's eyes snapped open and he began to convulse, his body seizing as his wounded organs refused to cooperate with the rest of him.

"No…no!" she pleaded, releasing the scroll and holding him down by his shoulders. Afraid that he'd swallow his tongue, she pried his mouth open with her fingers and reached in to hold it. He bit down on her hand with all of his strength, and she winced, trying to endure it. "Please stop…please get better…" she whimpered. After a few moments a gout of blood came up in his throat and he choked it out, his body calming to only a few twitches. There was very weak healing magic with the scroll, for people who were wounded as badly as Evzen, and it always took a few minutes for it to work.

She removed her hand from his mouth as his eyes began to have life again, and quickly crawled back to her pack. She cursed to herself as she rummaged through it, finding only a weak red healing potion within. Feeling it better than nothing, she scooted back to him and lifted his head enough so he could drink. He gurgled deep in his throat after the bottle was drained, and Mune cringed inwardly. His body was functioning, but just barely; he was still a man on the verge of death.

"Don't die, Evzen, I'm going to find us some shelter." Mune murmured, placing a hand gently on his cheek. His lips parted slightly as she gazed at him in worry, and tears welled in his eyes and slipped from the corners. His trousers were still around his ankles, but Mune was too scared to move him to place them back where they belonged at this point. Luckily, she was spared from any uncomfortable sights by the length of his tunic. She stared into his eyes, making sure he'd try his best to obey her command, then slipped away, searching the cliff side for any type of habitable crevice or cave.

Back in Giran that night, Narlafayn slipped from the room she'd rented out in the inn with Sharmin and Komugi. She couldn't sleep, too eaten with worry over Sharmin to rest properly. Komugi and Zaken were at the church, arguing with the head priest over the new law and trying to prove Sharmin and Gatz's innocence. Being a Temple Knight left Narlafayn with little say on the happenings of the church, so she had opted to stay behind.

Narlafayn had only spoken briefly with Ferrol before the fateful trip to the Garden of Eva that ripped Sharmin from this world. He'd told her of an ancient legend, something called a Nerafan, which he'd associated with her name. She didn't know what he had done that was so awful, but he didn't seem like the type to do something so dastardly that the church had to put a bounty on him.

Narlafayn took a deep breath, the air in the hallway of the inn cool. She shivered in her lilac nightgown, hugging herself to keep warm. Worry had left her with an urgent need to speak with someone, and the only person left there that night was the one she'd been avoiding out of fear; Terebel.

Swallowing against the fear that began to creep up, she stepped across the hallway to his room and knocked lightly upon the door. When no creepy voice whispered to her as he grunted permission to enter, she relaxed and opened the door with a smile.

"Hi, are you sleeping?" she asked brightly, stepping into his room. He lay on his stomach, his feet on his pillows and his chin resting on the edge of his bed. He had his arms dangling to the floor, holding a book down as he read it.

"Not yet." He mumbled, not looking at her. "What brings you into my room tonight? Just going to say goodnight and then avoid me for another four days?" Narlafayn winced at the bitterness in his voice; he had noticed when she hoped he'd just excuse her lack of paying attention to being overly busy. She smoothed her hair down and approached his bed in what she hoped was a seductive walk.

"No…" she began, sliding a hand across his bedspread. He glanced at her sidelong, but returned to his book, ignoring her attempt at seduction. Caught off guard by his lack of reaction, Narlafayn frowned. Sighing in defeat she climbed onto his bed and straddled him by sitting at the small of his back. "I just got lonely, that's all. I'm worried about Sharmin." She said, pressing on his back until finding a knotted muscle. She began to work at it with her knuckles and fingers, earning a groan of appreciation from Terebel.

"Alright so you're lonely now, does this mean that tomorrow when you're not lonely you'll be avoiding me again?" Terebel asked in irritation. He let out another groan as she found another knot and began to massage it. Terebel let out a noise of pain as she pressed too hard, agitated by his question. "Take it easy!" he snapped, lifting himself up and turning slightly to look at her. His annoyed look softened as he found her staring hard at his back, her jaw clenched as she tried to keep the tears in her eyes from spilling. Sighing in defeat he laid back down, feeling guilty for snapping at her. "Alright, I'm sure you have your reasons for not talking to me, I'll accept them and move on." He grumbled.

Narlafayn fell forward and pressed herself against his back, her arms wrapping around his chest and hugging him fiercely. She sniffled loudly against the back of his neck, her body trembling as she cried. Terebel sighed heavily, deciding right there that he knew less about women than he thought.

"Just tell me one thing, alright?" Terebel asked after letting her cry for a moment. Narlafayn calmed her quiet sobbing to watery sniffles, waiting for him to continue. "Do you or do you not like me? I honestly can't tell anymore." Narlafayn lifted her head, her eyes large. A cold feeling drifted through her arms and chest with his words, afraid that this question was the prelude to a rejection.

"Of course I like you." She said, staring at the back of his head. He sighed again, and turned his head slightly to look at her.

"I don't want to resort to something so juvenile, but…prove it." He said after regarding her for a moment. Narlafayn's eyebrows furrowed as he watched her patiently. After what had happened with him and Kartia in the Dark Elf Village she felt that she should be telling him to do the same. Not wanting an argument she sighed and inched up his back a little, until her face was even with his neck.

She half-shut her eyes as she began to kiss across his shoulders, pausing at his neck to nip it lightly. She licked the back of his neck with the tip of her tongue as she caressed his sides, earning a sigh from him. Pleased with herself, Narlafayn scooted back down, so she could kiss down the length of his spine. He'd been lying in bed without a shirt on, but still wore leather trousers. He gasped as she hit a particularly sensitive spot at the small of his back, and she rose upon her knees as she felt him struggle to roll over.

"Did that prove it?" she asked, her cheeks rosy with the mood. Terebel held onto her forearms as he made himself comfortable again, a lopsided smile on his face. He was drowsy with desire, and pulled her forward to meet him in a kiss. It was a heated, passionate kiss, similar to the ones they'd shared behind the house back in the Elven Village. He knew these made her the weakest, and he loved the way her body responded to them.

"I don't know, why don't you tell me?" he asked mischievously after pulling away, pushing on her arms until she sat down on his hips. Her eyes widened as she felt, quite unmistakably, Terebel's pleasure at her show of affection. He lifted his hips to press their groins together to an almost painful degree, trying to convey to Narlafayn his urgent need of her. He groaned softly as she arched her back and gasped.

"All of this over a few kisses?" Narlafayn asked breathlessly, placing her hands on his stomach to make sure she wouldn't fall over should her spine melt. Eyes glassy with desire, he began to rock her, ever so slowly, in a rhythm he began with his hips, tempting her with what she could have if she would say the word. Narlafayn's arms trembled and she let out a shuddering sigh. It had been so long, too long since her body had been with another; she'd almost forgotten that she had reproductive parts that were still very active.

"That just goes to show how badly I need you." Terebel said in a husky voice, sliding his hands up her arms to her face. He drew her down to kiss him again, never ceasing the motion of his body. He waited a moment for her to say no, but when she only continued to eagerly kiss him, he took one hand away from her face and slid it down the length of her body, fingers brushing over the gossamer material of her nightgown.

_God I love this nightgown_. He decided, feeling her skin plainly through the weave of fabric. She shivered under his touch as his hand slid lower and lower until it was between them. Deepening the kiss he'd locked her in, he unfastened his trousers and shifted them aside so they would be out of the way, then lifted his hand to push aside her panties. Narlafayn tensed, heat flaring through her body in anticipation, waiting for what was to come, eagerly. She broke the kiss with a sigh as their bodies had just begun to merge when suddenly the door to Terebel's room slammed open, revealing a happy-faced Junk Pixie on the other side. Narlafayn flew off of Terebel in a hurry, pulling her nightgown down to hide any inappropriate views. Terebel sat up quickly, his eyes large. He fell over again, light-headed as the blood rushed back from other places, over-stimulating his brain.

"Panties Lady, hurry! They're letting Papergirl and funny stick man out of jail!" Junk Pixie exclaimed happily. She seemed oblivious to the state the pair had been in, and darted in to grab Narlafayn by the arm. "Come on, hurry!" she rushed, dragging Narlafayn out of the room. Narlafayn looked over her shoulder apologetically, and Terebel draped an arm over his eyes.

"I'll be out there shortly; I've got to let my body figure out what to do with all of that extra blood." He said, waving his hand. Once they were clear of the room he sighed deeply. It was beginning to seem like something was preventing them from being together in that way, with how their interruptions were so well-timed. He growled deep in his throat and pushed himself to his feet to get dressed, unhappy with life. Next time he and Narlafayn were alone, he was going to continue, even if it meant they had an audience halfway through.


	18. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

_In which Giran is under attack, and feelings are finally recognized_

The cloaked girl whom had crashed into Sharmin earlier that day stood outside of Giran, scowling at it. Upon her back was the demonic sword, well-hidden by the long brown cloak she wore. It cried out to her in its thirst for blood, pleading to her as if she were torturing it to be without. Zaken was the only other person that could hear its voice, but since it had not chosen him as its bearer, the sound of it left him in pain.

"What are you waiting for? Am I going to have to do this myself?" The brown man whom had visited Shizuka said in irritation as he emerged from the ground. The red-haired girl pushed back the hood of her cloak to glare at him, baring her teeth. She would normally be afraid of this man as she was the one whom had plucked her from the Swamp of Screams, but she was under protection of a higher power now, and nothing could harm her.

"She is only one girl, there is no way she can overtake the city alone." A new voice came. Both the girl and the brown man turned to look at the newcomer as they approached.

"Then why was she sent out here? I could've flattened the city myself in less time!" the brown man snapped, angry. The newcomer chuckled deep in their throat and gestured with a slender hand towards the city.

"Why don't you give her a hand then, Antharas? Give the one the Zariche chose a hand instead of throwing a tantrum like your little brother." The cloaked figure laughed. The voice was female, and the laughter rang like bells of purity across the field they stood in. Narrowing his eyes at the cloaked woman, the man who was really the fearsome land dragon Antharas tensed and concentrated, the earth rumbling somewhere far away.

Deep within his lair, demonic creatures, some his siblings, others his children and grandchildren but most people he'd transformed with his magic, roused from slumber and slithered from the cracks they'd hidden themselves in. A wavering cry rose from the mass of monstrous bodies and they began to move towards the mouth of his lair, responding to the summons of their master.

"Done." Antharas growled. He would've preferred to flatten Giran himself, but his mother had specifically insisted that this girl, this wielder of Bremnon's sword, do the dirty work. The cloaked woman nodded in thanks, and turned to look down at the red-haired girl.

"It is all up to you now, begin when you wish." The woman said in a friendly voice. The red-haired girl grinned darkly and reached for the sword secured to her back. She assured her metal friend that its thirst would be clenched soon, and it purred in satisfaction.

"We're terribly sorry for this mix-up Mr. Windawood…" the head priest said in his whining voice as Gatz and Sharmin left the church. Komugi and Zaken followed behind, both scowling at people as they passed. "…you will let Sir Collin know that we meant no harm by this, right?" Gatz, one arm draped over Sharmin's shoulders protectively, glared at the older man.

"What I'll let Sir Collin know is that Giran is run by the most corrupt group of people and a church that thinks more of its political gain than the concerns of its parishioners." Gatz spat, hugging Sharmin close. She had her arms folded across her chest and stared at the ground, her eyes large. She'd just barely been rescued from a session in the Halcyon Room (which was the disguised name for the room they tortured heretics in), and was still in a state of shock from the things she'd seen down there.

"I wouldn't be as worried about Sir Collin as I would the Lord of Innadril." Komugi growled from behind the head priest. "He's got the dragon Fafurion on his side, didn't you hear?" The head priest froze mid-step and looked at Komugi, the color draining from his face. "All of us are in his clan you know, so maybe you should turn your brown-nosing to more than just people with well-known family names." They breezed past the priest as he stared at them in shock, unable to move.

"Oh man, aren't you guys a sight for sore eyes!" Narlafayn exclaimed as they exited the church. She was dressed back in her full armor, looking as neat and pressed as if she'd had a full night's sleep, despite the fact that it was only a little past midnight. Beside her, Terebel focused on a random object in his vision and glared, still angry about being interrupted earlier. He had merely thrown on the red tunic of his own Zubei armor, too frustrated to bother with assembling the full gear.

"Where's Ferrol?" Sharmin suddenly asked, looking at Narlafayn. The Elf blinked in confusion and glanced at Komugi, who shrugged.

"Ferrol was taken back to Aden to be formally tried, I'm sorry I couldn't get him out too." Gatz said in a low voice, his hand pressing into her arm. Sharmin looked at him, her eyebrows raised in an expression of sadness. "Don't worry, I'll talk to my Uncle, he still has some sway in Aden, so we'll see what we can do about getting Ferrol pardoned." Gatz said quickly, panicking that she would cry. He stood in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders, looking her square in the eyes. "I promise, alright?" he said, searching her face.

"Holy cow, just kiss already, I'm tired of the suspense." Komugi said sarcastically, watching them with a disgusted look. Both Sharmin and Gatz looked at the younger girl with matching blushes, and Narlafayn began to giggle.

The group was interrupted as a wave of screams erupted from the city's east gates. All turned to look quickly as red-skinned demons leapt over the walls and landed upon people as they dashed for cover. Zaken drew his rapiers quickly while they others stared in a stupor and jumped in front of a tall, grotesquely beautiful female demon known as a Blood Queen. He deflected her razor sharp fingers with his rapiers and stabbed at her midsection. She screeched in a metallic, high-pitched voice before falling to her knees.

"Snap out of it!" Zaken snapped, glaring over his shoulder at the group of fighters. Narlafayn drew her sword next and helped a stumbling elderly dwarf as he tried to race up the steps towards the church.

"Where'd these things come from?" Terebel shouted, drawing his swords. He cursed inwardly and prayed he'd not get injured too gravely without his armor. After deflecting the claws of another beast trying to maul a woman carrying a baby, he shouted "Spread out, get people to safety!" The group nodded then split up, joining the fight against the demon beasts that had suddenly seiged the city.

Sharmin and Gatz fought next to each other, Gatz wounding the beasts while Sharmin tried to help the weaker get to the safety of the church. It seemed ironic, somewhere in Sharmin's mind that she and Gatz had been trying for hours to get out of the church and here they were helping people get in. A child was knocked over in a rush of bodies as people tried to escape the lance of a Bloody Lord, a fifteen-foot tall skeleton demon. Sharmin gasped and began to push her way towards him as the child huddled to the ground and cried, too scared to stand up.

Movement caught the corner of Gatz's eye and he turned to look at the church as a chorus of angry shouts met his ears above the screams of horror. "HEY!" he shouted, finding that the priests of the church were struggling to shut the doors. "Don't lock them out!" he snapped, pushing roughly through the crowd of people trying to get in to safety. He stuck his foot in the door, bracing it open and winced as a group of priests tried to shut it on him.

"Get your foot out of the way, we must close the doors!" the priest in front of him shouted. Gatz stuck his hand in the door next and began to pull in the opposite direction, trying to force the doors open. Several hands shot out from behind him as others attempted to help.

"Let these people in, there's plenty of room in there yet!" Gatz strained, pulling as hard as he could. A Magister appeared behind the struggling priests and began chanting quietly. Gatz had but a second to stare, wide-eyed as a huge ball of wind flew past the men on the other side of the door and slammed into the people struggling outside. Gatz and everyone trying to press inside of the church were knocked flat, and Gatz struggled to push himself up from a cushion of flailing bodies. A shadow passed overhead as he finally stood once more, and he looked up at it with large eyes.

A large Drake reared up, its mouth flaming, and breathed out a large fireball. It broke through the roof of the church, and in its wake giant red-skinned demons with large horns known as Karik's swooped through the hole. The crowd that previously attempted to get into the church fled at the sight, realizing they would've been dead had they succeeded in getting in.

Not wanting to leave anyone to a horrible fate, even those of the corrupt church, Gatz dashed to the door once more and began to kick it as hard as he could. The force from the explosion on the roof had left the hinges on the door weak, and Gatz soon broke through. Grabbing his spear from it's securing on his back and gripping it firmly he set his jaw and dashed in, hoping that there were still people to save.

Sharmin reached the child as Gatz struggled with the church doors and covered him with her body, pressing him close as the Bloody Lord swung his double-sided lance. Heads of people racing for cover flew up in almost a grotesquely comical way, falling back to the pavement like wet rocks. The boy screamed as he caught a peek of the horror through Sharmin's arms, and Sharmin pressed him further to her chest. She shut her eyes in a wince, waiting for the bite of the Bloody Lord's blade; for she knew the next swing would hit her.

Noticing Sharmin cowering to the ground, Narlafayn waved her hand diagonally across her body, casting the spell that would blind the Bloody Lord to everyone but her. The skeleton's head snapped quickly to the side, finding her instantly, and ran at her with his lance held out to the side. Sharmin lifted her head when she realized the Bloody Lord had moved away, and stared as Narlafayn deflected his lance with her shield.

The undead was much stronger than Narlafayn and she spun from the force of the skeleton's blow, landing on her stomach on the ground. She winced and rolled as the skeleton stabbed at the ground trying to pierce her, narrowly missing her each time. The spear tip caught the end of her skirt as she rolled, and ripped it as if it were paper. Narlafayn stared at her damaged armor with large eyes before hissing through her teeth and pushing herself to her feet.

"You creep! You can't replace this armor easily!" she snarled, brandishing her sword. Shutting her eyes she concentrated quickly, searching for the magical thread that would pull her healing Cubic towards her. Crouching once she felt the glow of the tiny creature at her shoulder, Narlafayn bared her teeth in a feral grin, ready to take on the giant skeleton.

Her eyes widened and she froze as the Cubic next to her made a strange noise. All around her, the demons and undead suddenly lost interest in their targets, and turned to face her slowly, growling. Narlafayn first glanced over at the glowing light by her ear then turned her head to face it. She paled as a bright white-blue, devil faced fairy grinned at her smugly, pleased with itself. Normally Narlafayn would've been elated to know that she was quite possibly the first Temple Knight to bring forth a third Cubic into the world, but one that's magic only seemed to draw the attention of the monsters around her was not what she wanted at this time.

She yelped and quickly sped through the words of a spell that would temporarily put an invisible, magic armor over her skin as the monsters dashed towards her all at once. She crouched to the ground, her shield raised above her head to deflect some of the worst blows, as the monsters began to claw and bite at her. Not protected by the magic, her armor slowly broke and tore away from her body, much to Narlafayn's grief.

"What the hell did you do?" Terebel's voice came as he leapt into the group of monsters. Narlafayn looked up at him wearily, her face contorted into grief. "What's the matter?" Terebel asked, worried. He began to beat the monsters away as quickly as he could, knowing that Narlafayn's magic wouldn't last much longer.

"I summoned a third Cubic." She said mournfully, standing to fight as well. Taking up a stance near Terebel as the magic faded she began to cut at the beasts he focused on, too weak to take on one by herself.

"That's great!" he exclaimed, landing a killing blow on one demon and switching to the Bloody Lord. He jumped up onto the skeleton's lance as it flew by him and cleaved the undead creature's head off. It shattered into pieces as it flew through the air, and the Bloody Lord howled and swung blindly. Seeing an easy kill, an Orc carrying a large hammer took over from there, shouting triumphantly as it ground the Bloody Lord into dust. Terebel had but a moment to grin at a job well done until another demon came flying at them. "Damn, where are these things coming from? Are you scented with something they like?" Terebel exclaimed, narrowly dodging the jurs of a succubus. He glanced up at Narlafayn as he sliced through the succubus' wing to find her grimacing as if she swallowed something unpleasant. She lifted a hand and pointed at the new Cubic hovering over her shoulder.

"It's this thing; he keeps casting magic to make them come at me." She said tearfully. Terebel stumbled slightly and stared at the Cubic, witnessing for himself as the Cubic snickered devilishly and trembled, a smaller skeleton known as a Dragon Bearer turning abruptly in its chase of a dwarf and racing towards Narlafayn.

"Get rid of it!" Terebel exclaimed, pushing her out of the way and meeting the skeleton's sword with his two.

"I can't, they stay until they get tired!" she cried, deflecting the claws of a gargoyle that flew in from the sky. Terebel groaned loudly as he parried with the Skeleton, feeling that, although he cared deeply about Narlafayn, her class was utterly useless in a rampaging fight.

It was at this unfortunate moment that the dimensional travel gates would open and Koyori would step into Giran. Her eyes bulging out in shock at the battle in front of her, she plastered herself against the lamppost, stepping out of the way as a man with a bow shot an arrow into a demon and raced away as the creature took chase.

"What in great Einhasad's name is going on?" she exclaimed. A bloody lump came flying out of the hole in the roof of the church and Koyori cried out in horror as she realized it was the head of a Karik.

"Koyori, get out of there!" Leon's voice suddenly came. His hand followed and grabbed her by her wrist, pulling her out of the way just as a Drake, wounded from a sky fight with Giran's Castle Lord and his Wyvern, fell into the lamppost.

"Boy I sure picked a great time to come here, what's going on?" Koyori exclaimed as Leon pushed her to temporary safety along the side of a Clan Hall. She began to heal a wound on his shoulder without question; her healer's instinct always acting without prompt.

"We're not sure, suddenly the beasts from Dragon Valley just descended upon the city!" Leon shouted over the clamor of battle. Koyori winced as Leon lifted a shield to deflect a burning helmet that had been knocked from some unfortunate warrior. "It's like there's no place safe here, they've even broken through the holy barriers of the church!"

Koyori frowned and looked around, trying to see if she recognized any of the wounded lying upon the ground. Although a healer at her core, Koyori would still only bother taking care of those whom were familiar to her.

Her eyes widened as she spotted Zaken elegantly fighting with a group of four skeletons whom resembled Bloody Lords, only shorter. An elegantly dressed demon woman with long, shiny bright blue hair, a speckling of tiny horns on her forehead, and white eyes that seemed to bulge from her sockets stood behind the skeletons, watching the fight smugly. She was called Pytan, Koyori knew from her textbooks, and was one of Antharas' royal siblings. The group of skeletons that Zaken fought was her knights, once men whom had set out to slay the land dragon but falling trap to Pytan's horrific beauty. She gasped as one of the Skeleton's lances sliced Zaken across the chest, and pushed out from behind Leon, ready to heal him.

"Koyori, come back here!" Leon shouted, afraid for the Prophet's life. She ignored his command and pressed onward, her calculating side seeing a chance to appeal to Zaken, even with the chaos. Just as she reached Zaken's side, Komugi leapt from a roof and angled her own dual blades downward, slicing twin deep cuts into Pytan's back, starting from the shoulders down to her waist. Pytan roared in pain, but her knights were too occupied with the Grand Pirate to assist her.

"What are you doing here?" Koyori demanded, shocked to see Komugi fighting. Komugi looked up after ducking a swing from Pytan's long fingers, her own eyes large.

"What am I doing here, what are YOU doing here?" Komugi snapped, swinging her swords to deflect Pytan as the demon woman used both arms to try and wound her. Ducking the woman again she glared, knowing exactly why Koyori had approached them.

"Don't just stand there uselessly woman, if you're a prophet, heal us!" Zaken commanded, pausing long enough to glare at Koyori himself before returning to his fight against Pytan's knights. Koyori's face turned maroon with temper at Zaken's attitude, and she decided then and there that he wasn't worth her time, powerful or not. Gritting her teeth she began whispering, directing her healing first towards Zaken, and then Komugi, regretting that she'd left Leon's protection in the first place.

Sharmin pushed her way through the crowd, carrying the boy whom had ceased crying in shock. Finding that the church was under attack she searched desperately for another safe place for the child. The Innkeeper shouted at her as she passed the Inn, waving at her to bring the boy to him. Relief flooding her expression, she all but tossed the boy at the surly man before drawing her sword and racing back to the square.

A flash of red light caught her eye as she passed an archway into the jewelry district of the city, and she slid to a stop. Her eyes widened as she saw the red-haired girl cutting down a family of Elves, racing for their lives towards their home. The red flashes of light came from the sword as she cut it across their bodies. She laughed manically, chilling Sharmin to the core with the sound.

"Leave them be!" Sharmin shouted bravely as the girl turned her attention onto a group of frightened Dwarves. The girl's head snapped around to face Sharmin, her face contorted into dark hatred. Sharmin shifted her weight in anticipation, holding her sword ready as the girl hissed and raced towards her. _Give me strength_, she prayed. She met the Zariche sword in a shower of sparks, gasping as an eye swiveled around to look at her, positioned near the hilt of the blade. Frightened as the metal around the eye shifted as if to glare at her, Sharmin pushed out of the blade lock and slid backwards from the force of it. She had little time to recover before the girl was upon her again, swinging with deadly accuracy.

Somewhere in the back of her mind as she fought the girl she wondered how such a tiny young thing could swing such a heavy blade. The red-haired girl looked no more than twelve at the most, and her flame-red hair was cropped in a shaggy style that did remind one of Koyori. She was dressed in a brown traveler's cape that swirled as they clashed swords, her clothes underneath looking to be of Dwarven design and ragged from wear.

"I hear fighting over here!" Komugi shouted, directing Zaken and Koyori towards the jewelry district. She halted, Koyori crashing into her from behind as the sight of Sharmin fighting the girl with the large sword met her eyes. It wasn't so much shock over seeing the gigantic red sword or the tiny human girl-child wielding it, but more over the fact that Sharmin was fighting willingly, and holding up. She looked over at Koyori as a loud gasp escaped her throat, surprised to see her rival white as a sheet as she stared at the fight. "What is it?" she asked, frowning slightly.

"That's…Shana…it has to be!" Koyori said in a tiny voice. She began to tremble, and slowly lifted a hand to cover her mouth. Komugi frowned, glancing slightly at Zaken as he spun around to fight a Bloody Lady that had followed them to the district.

"Who's Shana?" she prompted, watching her intently.

"My sister…" Koyori said, her voice cracking with tears.

"Your WHAT?" Komugi exclaimed, never knowing Koyori to be anything but an only child. She didn't remember Koyori ever having a sibling while they were growing up, she was sure she would've remembered something like that!

"My parents died when I was little, and I and my newborn sister Shana were put up for adoption. Times were hard then and the people that adopted me from Talking Island couldn't take Shana too…I never knew where she'd gone or if she was even still alive but this HAS to be her! She looks just like my mother!" Koyori said fiercely, tears streaming down her face. She shook her head as if trying to deny the current situation, then lowered her hand away from her face and screamed "SHANA!"

The red-haired girl froze at the sound of Koyori's voice, her eyes large. Everything seemed to slow then, as she glanced over at Koyori, who came running towards her, Komugi reaching out to try and restrain her. Sharmin's blade found the girl's stomach in that second of faltering, and she shoved it through the girl's body, the other end bursting from her back, embedded to the hilt. The girl released the sword with a tiny gasp, the large blade clattering to the ground.

The Zariche began to scream, a high-pitched, wailing scream that tore through Zaken's head and brought him to his knees. Out in the square, finishing off a naga demon called a Cave Maiden, the sound echoed through Terebel and Narlafayn's heads as well. Narlafayn fainted from it and Terebel screamed, his back arching as the noise paralyzed him with pain.

Sharmin's eyes widened as her vision was suddenly pulled through a red, pulsing space similar to veins pumping blood. When it cleared she found herself standing in a dense, snow-covered forest, watching a group of children have a snowball fight. Three of them were obviously dwarves by their appearance, two girls and one boy, and the fourth was the red-haired girl she'd just impaled on her sword. There was a pulling sensation and suddenly Sharmin found herself as the red-haired girl, being pelted with a snowball that the boy dwarf had thrown. She blinked at him in confusion and opened her mouth to ask him where she was, but they were interrupted by the clattering of a wagon.

"Run!" the boy Dwarf exclaimed, racing towards an old, run-down train station. Fear jumping in her throat, Sharmin raced with the Dwarven children towards the station, not knowing what the wagon was, but feeling it was something worth fearing.

"Midget!" one of the Dwarven girls cried as a red-haired one with bangs obscuring her eyes fell. She whimpered in fear as a dirty-looking man pulled himself from the snow bank he'd buried himself in, one hand gripping the red-haired dwarves' ankle.

_Go rescue her._ A deep voice said in her head. _You must not change anything._

Sharmin glanced around until she found a large, ice-covered branch, and ran at the man with a shout, wielding it like a sword. She cracked it across his head, laying him flat in the snow. "RUN!" she screamed at the Dwarven children. The man she'd hit slowly pushed himself back to his feet with a curse, and pulled a dagger from his belt.

"You'll regret you did that, girly." He said in a whisky-tainted voice. Sharmin was pushed from the girl after that, the events following the man's words speeding past her. More men stepped off the wagon and joined the first in the snow. She sobbed in horror at what the men did to the girl after that, shutting her eyes as to not see it. It very much echoed what had happened to her in the forest outside Oren, but this hurt her so much more to see it happening to a child not quite a teen.

The world stopped spinning and Sharmin found herself facing a cage full of sobbing, beaten looking children. She glanced around and found herself standing at the center of a ring of wagons full of children and teens, realizing in horror that the men were slave traders. The two men from before sat in front of a fire eating their dinner and drinking whisky, laughing at a joke a third one had said. A fourth stood and ambled over to a tree where he relieved himself.

"I'm gonna turn in with one of the girls, men. Wake me in the morning." The fourth said. Sharmin saw the red-haired girl sitting calmly in the wagon that the fourth man walked towards, her face an unreadable mask. The girls around her began to whimper and cry; afraid it might be them whom he took this time.

"Alrighty, who wants to be a woman tonight?" he asked with a lustful grin. His eyes landed on the red-haired girl, and the grin widened. "Ah yes, you're the most developed out of the girls here, I think I'll have another go with you."

"No!" Sharmin cried, reaching for the man to stop him. A lance of pain went through her face and she stumbled to her knees, holding her eye.

_You must not change anything._ The deep voice said again.

Sharmin looked up as the man dragged the red-haired girl from the wagon and away from the camp for some privacy. She pushed herself to her feet shakily and dashed after them, determined to ignore the disembodied voice and put a stop to what the man was going to do. Just as she reached the tree he disappeared behind, there was a gurgling cry of pain. Sharmin took a step backwards, one hand flying to her throat in shock as a horrific sight came to her eyes. The red-haired girl was straddling the man and had stabbed him through the throat with a large shard of glass. Her face contorted into rage, the girl lifted the shard again with both hands, and let out a noise of anger as she began to stab him repeatedly in the face and head.

Sharmin looked away, the girl's angry grunts turning into a scream of anguish. Once the man was an unidentifiable mass she stumbled away and slammed into a tree trunk. She shook in shock, dropping the shard to look at the blood on her hands. Alerted by her voice, one of the man's companions wandered over curiously, never before hearing such a sound come from one of the girls when the men took them for some privacy. He reeled in horror as he saw his friend and leaned over to vomit. The red-haired girl tried to push herself back up to stand, but the strength had left her limbs.

"You little bitch, how dare you!" the man shouted, wiping his chin. The red-haired girl shook in fear and fell onto her bottom, trying to scramble away from the man as he drew the sword hanging at his side and flew at her. Grabbing the shard again, the red-haired girl cried out in fear and thrust it forward, her hate and rage and fright giving her the energy she needed.

The sky and land suddenly turned blood red, everything trembling as if with earthquake. It was as if time stopped in that moment, and the red-haired girl glanced to her side to find a red, clawed hand thrust through the ground, holding the Zariche for her to take.

_You are afraid, aren't you?_ _You don't want to die?_ The sword asked her in a comforting voice. The girl nodded, tears filling her eyes. _Then wield me girl of fire, your hatred has called me forth from my master's side. _

Without hesitation the girl scrambled for the sword. She gasped as a strange sensation swept over her once her fingers gripped the hilt, and she suddenly felt as powerful as a god. Time began moving again and the girl smoothly swung the sword, cleaving the man that had been running at her in two. She knelt to one knee, panting in excitement as she reveled in the feeling of power in her limbs.

_That was fun, wasn't it?_ The sword asked her, pleased. The girl nodded, grinning insanely at the blade. _Keep going, I'm so very thirsty you see…I…we need more blood!_ Nodding in agreement she stood once again and flew from the forest, her target the remaining men sitting around the campfire.

Sharmin covered her mouth in horror as the girl rampaged through the caravan, the sword not just sated on the blood of the slavers. She began to kill the children and teens that had been slaved as well, cutting them down before they had a chance to scream. When all had died or escaped, the girl fell to her knees, covered in their blood, and looked at the sword in her hands. She began to shake in horror as the realization of what she'd done finally penetrated the spell the sword had cast upon her. It was too late though, the sword had bonded to her, and she could not resist its call for blood. She let out an anguished scream and began to wail at the top of her lungs, her childhood forever lost to her now.

Sharmin returned to Giran in that instant, still holding the sword that was embedded in the girl's midsection. She looked up into the girl's face, her lips parting in shock as she found the girl smiling at her serenely. Sharmin had finally released her from the nightmare of the Zariche, and now she could finally atone for all of the lives she'd taken. She withdrew the sword quickly, blood gushing from the wound she'd made once the blade was free.

"NO!" Koyori shouted, falling to her knees beside the girl and lifting her to lie on her lap. Her cheeks streaked with tears she placed her hand over the wound and began to heal it. She lifted her head to glare at Sharmin hatefully, startling the Paladin with the ferocity of it. "What have you done, you bitch? Do you aim to take everything I've ever cherished away from me?" she cried, her voice rough with hysteria. Sharmin took a step back, her eyes large as she saw Komugi's earlier claim of the red-haired girl resembling Koyori to be true. They were like carbon copies of each other, only one older and with black hair.

"I…I didn't know…" Sharmin began weakly, taking another step away. Komugi fell to her knees next to the red-haired girl and began to apply her own healing spell as well, knowing that Koyori's wouldn't be enough to save the girl.

"Don't yell at her Racoon, she didn't know." Komugi snapped, trying to smack logic into Koyori's brain by using her old nickname. She had earned such a name while they were in Einhovant's magic school as Komugi was always getting into catfights with her and leaving her with black eyes. Koyori looked at her tearfully, and then lowered her head to concentrate on her dying little sister.

"I'll try to find a Bishop." Sharmin exclaimed, racing towards the square.

"Make sure it's a live one!" Komugi shouted in her wake. She pursed her lips and frowned as Sharmin disappeared, wondering if her sister had actually heard her. She blinked as the Zariche on the ground suddenly disappeared in a burst of flame, leaving nothing behind but a seared place on the ground.

Outside of Giran, still watching the chaos, Antharas grinned in pleasure at the screams of horror rising from the city. His smile faded as the cloaked woman next to him turned and began walking away from the city.

"Too much for your weak constitution to handle?" Antharas asked in a snipped tone, giving her a smug look. The woman glanced at him, melting his smile again with her calm expression.

"The Zariche has disappeared, or could you not feel it? The girl failed, I return to mother and receive her next desire." The woman said smoothly. Antharas' face darkened as the woman questioned his ability to sense the dark magic of Zariche, and he began to release his humanoid form, transforming slowly to his true body.

"You dare to question me? I am your master in this land, you are merely food!" he growled, the earth trembling with his anger. There was a burst of flame in front of him and Valakas, still in the form of a young boy, appeared. Another burst of flame covered him and his body grew, taking on the form of a tall man with long, wild red hair and large red wings.

"You will not harm her, she is our sister!" Valakas growled, placing clawed hands on Antharas' shoulders and pushing him away from the cloaked woman. Antharas threw the younger dragon off, sending him flying into the dirt. He shrunk back down to his normal form, the magic of the seals that bound him keeping him from returning to his normal body outside of his lair.

"You can continue to suckle our mothers' teats from now until eternity, Valakas, but you will not come between me and those I swear to kill!" Antharas snarled, lifting the red man up by his neck. His face softened slightly as he inspected Valakas' face, which was contorted into hateful rage. "Or is it that you wish to be one of her chosen? Is that it?" he released Valakas with a short burst of laughter, the younger dragon dropping to the ground with one clawed hand at his throat, coughing. "You wish to mate with your own sister!" Antharas said, laughing louder. "Our mother's habits were passed on in ways we could never tell!" he said, tears welling in his eyes in his mirth.

"Boys…boys. Enough." The cloaked woman said, stepping between them as Valakas tried to propel himself at Antharas. She turned smoothly to face Valakas and pressed herself against him. "Valakas, my hot-blooded demon…" she purred, reaching up to touch his face. Valakas shivered at the feel of her hand on his cheek, and reached up to press it to his lips.

"When will you return to us?" he asked, his voice strained with want. The cloaked woman smiled darkly, glancing over her shoulder at the scowling Antharas.

"I've found what I needed out here…I'm ready to return to mother now." She said, watching Antharas' expression. She knew she was favored more than him in the eyes of his mother, and loved how much it pained him. The expressions of jealous rage that his face displayed were always a source of great amusement to her.

Still holding her hand to his face, Valakas let out a shuddering sigh of relief and happiness. "Welcome home, then." He said, smiling at her warmly. He put an arm around her, pressing her closer to his body and the two disappeared in a burst of flame, leaving Antharas scowling in the dark.

Sharmin raced through an eerily quiet square, searching desperately for a living body. The cobbled area was covered in blood and the bodies of both demons and people. Several people, badly wounded, struggled across the square, calling for help. Sharmin's heart went out to them, but she didn't have time to stop and assist them. The sounds of battle still wafted from the different districts of the city, but it was mostly quiet now, as if the world was respecting all of those who had died.

Her mind racing as to the best place she'd find a bishop, Sharmin raced towards the church out of habit. Fear leapt into her legs at the sight of the smashed door, suddenly afraid for all of the people inside. She slid to a stop and nearly stumbled over the body of a Karik just inside of the door, its head missing. She swallowed and glanced around the massive interior of the cathedral, looking for survivors.

To her surprise, there were splatters of blood everywhere in the church, but no bodies. The air inside was as quiet as the square, and she stood from the prepared crouch she'd been walking in to sheath her sword. A gasp caught in her throat as her vision first caught a long smear of blood, as if a body had been dragged across the floor, which she followed to the body it originated from. She dashed to the altar where the body lay, face-down, sprawled in such a way as if praying for Einhasad's protection.

"Gatz!" she exclaimed breathlessly, recognizing him as she came closer. She fell to her knees beside him and rolled him over. He had been wounded badly from the Karik, his side ripped open from the demon's claws. "Oh no…please no…" she prayed, tears welling in her throat. He was still breathing, but it was faint.

She spread her hands above him and shut her eyes, her lips moving as she cast a healing spell. It was generally weak, but she put her heart and soul into it, praying for it to be enough to save him. Gatz shifted slightly as the magic went to work, and opened his eyes weakly.

"I saved them all…" he said, his voice a raspy whisper. Sharmin opened her eyes and looked down at him in surprise, tears escaping now that her eyelids no longer held them in. He smiled as she looked at him, and lifted a shaking hand to cup her cheek. "All of those corrupt bastards…but I still saved them all. No one died." Sharmin's lower lip trembled as his hand dropped back down to the stone ground, his eyes slowly shutting.

"Gatz, no…open your eyes." She pleaded, her voice thick. "Gatz…!" she dropped her healing spell to shake his shoulder. To her relief he opened his eyes again as she hovered near his face. As she stared into his eyes, feelings she'd never experienced before filled her heart and overflowed, spreading comfortable warmth through her body. She loved him, by the gods of this earth, she realized in one, eye-opening moment that she always loved him, she just never realized it.

"Are you trying to heal me?" Gatz asked, his voice still weak. Sharmin nodded as he lifted a hand to cup her cheek again, more tears dropping from her eyes. "Why?" he asked, his eyebrows drawing together in emotional pain at the sight of her crying.

"I love you." She said with a sob. Gatzs' eyes widened slightly with this, and his lips parted. He struggled to sit up and she put a hand on his chest, shutting her eyes to try and resume her healing spell. "Don't, there will be scars if I don't heal you properly!" she said, worried.

"I don't give a damn about a scar!" Gatz exclaimed with large eyes, his voice clear. Sharmin sat back, shocked by his sudden burst of energy. He fell onto her, still weak from blood loss, but found her mouth with his and kissed her. Her eyes were wide with surprise for a moment but she slowly let them close, realizing that if he had the energy to kiss her now, he wasn't near death any longer.

It was almost a reprise of the night in the abandoned house, only now Sharmin's mind and heart were clear. Their fingers intertwined, Sharmin laid on her stomach, Gatz covering her back with his body. Gatz kissed her ear gently as they connected intimately, and Sharmin sighed, realizing she missed the feel of him even though she'd never known that it was him before. They both clenched their hands, afraid that the other would disappear as Gatz moved. They didn't care that they were in a church, the cold gaze of Einhasad staring down at them. Sharmin didn't care that she was breaking some unspoken Paladin vow of celibacy, she just knew complete, and utter happiness.

Sharmin rolled over then, to be able to cling to Gatz as he moved, loving the feel of his muscles through his skin, loving the feel of him within her. He shivered in pleasure, reveling in the fact that he was with Sharmin again, and she belonged to him, no one else.

After they were spent, Gatz lay next to her on his stomach, one arm draped over her bare chest as if to protect it from statue of Einhasad's stare. He watched her through barely open eyes as she lay with her eyes shut, concentrating on returning her breathing to normal. His energy was over spent, he felt as if he'd never recover it, even after years of sleep, but it was all worth it to be spent like this.

She opened her eyes to look at him as he turned her face towards him, and smiled. He echoed it, caressing her cheek with his fingers, no words needed for this moment. He lifted himself up slightly, trying to swallow the stab of pain from his still not completely healed wound and kissed her gently; knowing that this was the start of something that he was certain would last forever. Nothing would pull them apart from then on…not even the gods themselves.


	19. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

_In which Koyori is unhappy with her situation and a spy is revealed_

"What a disgusting mess." Maeve stated as she stood at the top of the steps leading to Giran's church, surveying the damage, with her hands on her hips. Morning's light had just spread over the horizon, bathing the city in a dim light, revealing the extent of the carnage. Maeve had just arrived with a group of fighters and healers, alerted by a group that had raced to Dion in search of assistance. Junk Pixie had been among them, recognizing Maeve from the Innadril siege and dragging her along.

She descended the stairs and began to step gingerly around the bloody bodies, trying not to stain her white slacks with blood. She rarely wore a traditional healer's costume, like the Blue Wolf slacks and bodice she wore now, unless showing off to someone. Junk Pixie had caught her in the middle of a business date and had dragged her off before she had a chance to change.

Movement caught her attention and she raised her eyebrows as a hand waved precariously in the air from underneath the heavy body of a dead Karik. Blinking without expression, she lifted a staff from the ground and stuck it under the side of the Karik, grunting as she heaved with all of her might to lift it. Narlafayn took a gasp of air as her head emerged, scratched and bruised from the ground when the Karik toppled over onto her while she was unconscious.

"My my, a nudist as well." Maeve stated in amusement as Narlafayn stood. Her face turned red as she looked down and realized very little remained of her Dwarven Chain armor, her bra and panties in clear view of anyone who would look at her. With a squeak she covered herself and crouched to the ground, embarrassed.

"That's for my pleasure only." Terebel said darkly, joining them and dropping his tunic over Narlafayn's back. She looked up at him in thanks, pulling the bloodstained shirt over her body. Terebel was of medium height and build, so the tunic did not hang as low as she would've preferred, but it still hid her underwear and made her feel better.

"Look at you, the dark warrior through and through." Maeve stated in amusement, appreciating the sight of Terebel half naked now that he was a full grown adult. Terebel sighed in irritation and put his arm around Narlafayn, taking strength from the feel of her beside him.

"Why are you here, Maeve?" he asked, nuzzling Narlafayn's neck. Narlafayn's eyes widened and she froze, goosebumps breaking out on her arms. Maeve lifted an eyebrow and glanced at the bloody mess around her, disbelieving that Terebel had asked such a question.

"I don't know, why don't you tell me?" she stated more than asked, an amused smile pulling at her lips. Narlafayn swallowed a laugh as Terebel's head shot up quickly, glaring at the Elder. He _had_ asked a stupid question after all. Maeve glanced around as if looking for someone before turning back to face the pair.

"Is that pink-haired thing here?" she inquired, standing on her tip-toes as if expecting to see someone come running up behind them.

"Which pink-haired thing? There's several in our acquaintance." Terebel asked, shifting to stand behind Narlafayn and rest his chin on her shoulder. Maeve made a motion with her hand, demonstrating the height of the person she spoke of.

"That Light Elf thing attached to your clan leader's hip." She said. Narlafayn lifted an eyebrow, noticing the strange bite Maeve's voice had.

"No, Shizuka's not with us, why?" she responded, tilting her head slightly to accommodate Terebel better. Maeve sighed in relief and relaxed.

"I don't trust that girl, she's bad news." She said seriously in a low voice. "She spoke in the ancient language of the Elves during the siege." Terebel snorted lightly and stood up straight to stretch.

"So? There are some people other than you ancient hags that know the old languages. Maybe she was taught by someone as a hobby." He said dismissively, turning away from her.

"You don't understand, NO one learns the ancient language as a 'hobby'. It's much too old and powerful for that." Maeve stated in irritation. "She summoned that dragon; she's not what she looks like." Narlafayn's lips parted slightly; she'd been getting strange vibes from Shizuka as well, from the very start.

"Where's Sharmin?" Komugi's voice came, and the three elves turned towards it. Komugi dashed up to them, her eyes wide with worry. She looked exhausted, and it was obvious that her worry over Sharmin was all that was keeping her going.

"Komugi, you need rest, you've been moving and healing all night." Zaken said, coming up behind her. Komugi shot a glare over her shoulder and then turned back to the Elves, waiting for their answer.

"I haven't seen her since last night, when I drew that Bloody Lord away from her." Narlafayn answered honestly, hugging herself as the shock from the fight began to settle in. Komugi glanced around the square, her forehead wrinkled with worry.

"Where the hell did you go, Sharmin?" she breathed. She began to step amongst the dead, searching for Sharmin.

"She was last searching for a Bishop; perhaps she went into the church." Koyori said, approaching them slowly. She had her arm around Shana, who walked with her eyes downcast. She had lived thanks to Koyori and Komugi's healing, but the reality of all that she had done weighed heavily upon her, leaving her doll-like and unresponsive.

"But the church was under attack…" Komugi breathed, ice spreading through her chest. Grabbing her sword from where it laid on the ground, Narlafayn was the first to move and dashed towards the church, leaping over bodies like a sprinter. Komugi and the rest followed, each sharing the same feelings of worry and fear.

"Sharmin?" Narlafayn called as they raced into the damaged church. Their footsteps echoed like thunder inside the grand cathedral, announcing their approach. Sharmin sat up like a rocket, still very much naked, her eyes large as they came into view. Narlafayn slid to a stop, mirroring Sharmin's petrified look. "Oh-ho…I see." Narlafayn said, a sly grin spreading on her face.

"Gods damn it, is everyone getting some but me?" Terebel said angrily, turning away from them. Her face a dark crimson, Sharmin snatched her brown leather clothes and tried to unsuccessfully cover herself with them.

"The poor boy, haven't you been treating him well?" Maeve asked Narlafayn, the only one not sharing the shock of seeing the naked human pair in front of them.

"It's about damn time, geez!" Komugi exclaimed. The sound of Komugi's voice caused Sharmin to freeze and she scrunched into a tighter ball, trying to hide her nakedness, embarrassed. "Oh come off it Sharmin, we bathed together up until we left the island, as if you have anything new for me to see." Komugi said bitterly, rolling her eyes. Obviously picturing the two girls bathing together Zaken's eyes glazed over and he stumbled slightly as he walked. Komugi glared as he tripped over his own feet and shook her head.

"We have an audience, don't we?" Gatz stated more than asked, not moving from where he laid on his stomach with his eyes still closed. Sharmin, now curled into a ball, nodded. Sensing it more than seeing, Gatz winced and tensed, realizing that the entire world had a grand view of the genetically inherited Windawood glutes.

"All right, everyone out! We can't traumatize Sharmin any more or she'll stop having sex with Gatz and their relationship will go back to square one!" Komugi said loudly, clapping her hands. Snorting with suppressed laughter Narlafayn grabbed Terebel by the wrist and toted him out of the church as Komugi shooed them. "Take your time and get dressed, heaven knows it's a lot more comforting in here than it is out there." Komugi said as the crowd filed back out into the ruined city. She smiled as Sharmin looked at her and mouthed 'I'm glad for you' before skipping out to join the rest.

Zaken leaned heavily against the side of the church, one hand to his head. Being inside the church had taken a toll upon what energy was left within him. He'd forgotten that he still harbored a reaction to anything dealing with Einhasad, a lingering side-effect from his days as the Grand Pirate cursed by Giant's treasure. Deciding that perhaps she'd give him another shot, Koyori sat Shana down on the steps and approached him with a flirty spring to her step.

"Are you in any pain? Do you need me to heal you?" she asked smoothly, lightly touching his shoulder. He glanced up at her briefly before wincing and returning to leaning his head against the rough stone and putting a hand to his forehead.

"Only Komugi can help me with this." He said in a strained voice, wincing. Koyori frowned and huffed, puffing out her chest as if to show it off to him.

"And what is it that Komugi can do that I can't?" she demanded, putting her hands on her hips. As if on cue, Komugi emerged from the church humming lightly to herself. She zeroed in on Koyori standing next to her boyfriend and the smile left her face in an instant.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she approached, noticing Zaken's posture. Zaken glanced up at Komugi with an expression that left even Koyori breathless. It was one of pure hunger, a kind of look that most women dream about men giving them. However, it was only Komugi who knew how dangerous that look truly was, especially when it came from Zaken.

Without a word Zaken pushed himself from the church wall and strode over to Komugi. He crushed her against him in an elegant hug, pulling down the collar of her shirt with one hand. Taking a deep breath he lowered his head to her neck and, as Koyori watched speechlessly, bit into her flesh. Koyori winced at the sound of his fangs piercing her, one hand flying to her mouth as she realized what Zaken was. She turned away from them, her cheeks pink. She agreed with him, it was indeed something Komugi could only do. Koyori certainly didn't want to be some vampire's sippy cup.

"Are you certain that the Zariche disappeared after its wielder dropped it?" the woman who was formerly the Dame of Innadril Castle asked the man in front of her eagerly. She and her companion sat within a darkened, oil lamp lit tavern within Hunter's Village, speaking in low voices. After most of the alliance she'd requested help from had been eaten by Fafurion, she and what remained of her clan had become hunted in revenge. They'd split up, the Dame and a select few of her best fighters coming to hide in Hunter's Village, where she carefully nurtured flames of hatred and the desire for revenge.

"That I am, Madame." The man in front of her said with a throaty chuckle. He reached for the bottle of mead between them and took a drink. The former Dame, whom we shall know from henceforth as Ryann, winced slightly as she looked down at the man's hands. He had approached her after the siege, claiming that he too wished death upon the Haibane clan, and would spy on them to help her.

"Excellent! The old legends say that the Zariche will be drawn to the one with the most hatred…it will be soon ours!" Ryann said wickedly, her eyes gleaming in the lamp light.

"You should pick off some of Haibane while they're away from Innadril…send assassins now to take care of the ones in Giran while they're weak from the fight with the monsters." The man said with excitement, his chair creaking as he shifted. The hopeful smile on his face dropped as Ryann chuckled and shook her head, and then moved to stand. "Why not? The man that did THIS to me is there, I want him dead!" The spy held up an always infected stump where his hand used to be, making Ryann wince again at the sight of it. Montavious shook with fury, angry that this woman was not upholding her end of their bargain.

"Then kill him yourself, you still have another hand." She said without sympathy, turning away. "I appreciate what you've told me so far though, you'll be paid in turn for your hard work, but my clan is not your personal assassins." She waved lightly as she walked away from him, her hips swaying now that she had the possibility of gaining the Zariche on her side. Montavious let out a grunt of rage and slammed his infected arm down onto the table, rattling the lamp and toppling his bottle of mead. He stared hard at the wall across from him, breathing loudly through his nose as he fumed. Now that he knew where Gatz was he would make sure the bastard paid for what he did to him…and then he'd take Sharmin back and make her see how much more he cared about her than anyone else.

Koyori stood with Shana at the bottom of the steps leading to the church in Giran, her arm around her, pressing her firmly to her side in a protective fashion. The bodies had long since been cleared from the city and taken to an empty field several miles away. If families had not claimed them by then they were to all be cremated in a collective funeral service. The sounds of repairs broke the silence of the city now as those who were left alive tried to pick up the pieces and go on.

It had come as a surprise to Koyori, to find out that Shana had been adopted by a Dwarven family. Junk Pixie had been elated to see her younger sister again, and had promptly sent a letter through the Warehouse freight system to her mother. A reply came almost immediately; Mama Pixie had received the letter and was on her way at that very moment. Now Koyori stood, tense with anticipation next to her still doll-like long lost sister while the Dwarf on Shana's other side chattered happily about her family and Mama Pixie's wisdom.

Junk Pixie's prattling faded as Mama Pixie blinked into existence next to the new Gatekeeper, stomping like a mad dinosaur. She had forgotten to put her fake beard on in the rush to get to Giran, which was the primary cause of Junk Pixie's surprise. Koyori glanced down as she felt Shana tense, her eyes sparking with life as Mama Pixie came into view. She let out a whimper of fear and began to struggle, trying to break free of Koyori's grip. Koyori panicked; was this Dwarf abusive? Was she going to hurt Shana?

"Wait…" she began, putting a hand out to halt the approaching Dwarf. Mama Pixie shoved it aside roughly earning a gasp of disbelief from the Prophet, and grabbed Shana's arm roughly by her bicep as the girl tried to flee. She pulled Shana close and crushed her to her shorter body in a tight, protective hug, letting out a loud sob of relief. Shana's eyes widened as she realized she wasn't going to be punished for anything, and relaxed into her mother's hold, letting the tears she'd pent up out in one great rush. Sniffling herself, Junk Pixie fell onto her mother as well, joining the embrace.

The scene was touching, and Koyori felt a small smile touch her face. It almost made her jealous to see Shana so well-loved by people she didn't know, but she was relieved that she'd been adopted into a warm and caring family. Her smile faded as a wave of Dwarven children blinked into existence then, all crying out in happiness as they saw Shana and racing down the steps to join the hug. Koyori took a step back to not be bowled over in the deluge of small bodies, blinking in surprise as a young Dwarven boy, no more than two, latched onto her leg.

"You must be her birth sister, eh? I recognize your face, you've grown quite a bit since I saw you last." A male Dwarf said, waddling up to Koyori. He held a baby who stared at the display of its siblings all crying in one loud noise, hugging their mother.

"You know me?" Koyori asked, surprised. The male Dwarf grinned and patted her hand in a fatherly gesture.

"Of course, I worked at the Warehouse in Gludin back when you and Shana were put up for adoption. I'd remember that pouty face of yours anywhere." He said warmly. "Mama and I tried our hardest to adopt you and Shana as a set, but that Ashdown family was hell bent taking you." He shook his head sadly, Koyori staring at him in disbelief. Someone had tried to adopt them together? The people she'd come to know as her parents had told her repeatedly that no one could afford two children together…and she'd believed them. It shook her to know that being separated from Shana could've been avoided…but as she glanced back at the noisy Dwarven family embracing Shana she decided then and there that how things had gone was probably the best. Koyori didn't think she could handle living with such a rambunctious crew.

"Thank you for taking such good care of her." Koyori said politely, unsure of what she was to talk to this man about. He clucked his tongue gently and to her surprise, pulled her down into a bear hug with one arm, patting her back. Koyori stared out to the square in unease, and then lifted her own arm to pat him lightly back. She wasn't used to the friendliness of Dwarves, and quite frankly it bothered her to have someone so eager to invade her personal space. She hoped Shana hadn't learned this trait.

A bit later Mama Pixie approached Koyori, whom had abandoned the reunion to sit at the inn where it was cool. She and Papa Blackstaff had their arms around Shana, who stood between them. Koyori sat up straight as they neared, trying to adjust her light armor to give herself a neater appearance.

"I take it you'll be returning to the Dwarven Village then?" Koyori asked. She was happy to finally see her younger sister again, but she didn't think she was prepared to deal with her while she harbored so much emotional baggage after the Zariche. She'd keep in touch with her of course, but she felt that Shana should return with the Pixies and recuperate in the home she knew.

"Well, we've discussed it, and we feel that it's a splendid idea for Shana to stay with you for awhile." Mama Pixie said, as if assenting to an idea Koyori herself had suggested. Koyori's pleasant smile dropped and her eyes bulged out of her head in disbelief. Shana stared at her mother with the same expression.

"Mama, I don't want to stay with _her_!" Shana exclaimed, saying 'her' as if Koyori were some sort of disgusting creature. Koyori's disbelief turned to annoyance, and she glared at the younger copy of herself.

"My little flame-brain, you've been having difficulty staying happy with us ever since finding out you were adopted. In addition now all of what happened with that horrible sword…I think it's best if you stay away from the Dwarven Village for awhile." Mama said in a soothing tone, petting Shana's head. Shana ducked under it and pulled away from the two Dwarves, her eyes welling with tears.

"You're just trying to get rid of me now, aren't you? You're scared of me!" Shana accused, her voice rough with tears. Mama Pixie shook her head and reached for her again, but Shana dodged it and dashed out into the city. Sighing heavily, she turned to deal with Koyori, who opened her mouth to protest.

"You can't just pile her onto me like this!" Koyori said, standing up. Mama Pixie held up a hand to silence her as Papa Blackstaff wandered out to hunt down Shana.

"It's not 'piling', Raccoon-lady. I'm afraid that if Shana returns to the Worm Spine mountains she'll be bombarded with all sorts of unpleasant memories. She was caught by slavers you see…and I think something happened while she was with them to equip her with that horrible demon sword." Mama Pixie's lips trembled and she glanced away from Koyori, trying to wipe her face discreetly. This was one time when her tears were not used as a ploy to get her way, and the honesty of displaying her emotions embarrassed her.

Koyori sighed heavily, feeling a twinge of guilt inside of her despite her best efforts at keeping her selfish side in tact. The sight of a crying mother always was a weak spot in her, and she assumed it had something to do with her birth mother before she died. She lowered her head to the table, too tired from all of the events that had taken place to fight.

"Fine…but I can't guarantee she'll be much happier with me." She said, her voice muffled by the oak table. Mama Pixie sniffled loudly and wiped her eyes with an ornate handkerchief.

"Oh I think she will Raccoon-Lady…I think it's high time she learned about being a human as well. It'll benefit her in the end; she'll be a unique soul amongst souls, with an understanding of both of our races." She climbed into the high chair next to Koyori and nodded to a barmaid to bring her a pint of Dwarven mead. "There's a couple of other reasons too, Raccoon-Lady…first and foremost is an issue I've begun to notice with her amongst my older children…it's such a dire issue that if it escalated, I'd have to unadopt Shana. I don't want to have to do that." Koyori raised her head and blinked at her with squinted eyes. What issue could be so dire that Shana would have to be disowned? Did she not get along with one of the precious Pixie firsts? "The second issue is that three of my babies are still missing. Searches are being conducted as we speak, but if they were slaved as well, I don't want Shana to have to witness what could've been done to them too. She's been touched by the Zariche, it could return to her at any time." She snatched up the mug the barmaid placed in front of her and drained it in three large gulps. Letting out a satisfied breath of air, she slammed it back on the table, and then belched loudly in appreciation for such fine mead. Koyori's nose wrinkled in disgust, hoping that this was yet another habit that Shana had failed to learn.

"Good news Mama, Shana has agreed to stay with Koyori for a year." Papa Blackstaff said. Both women turned towards his voice as he approached them with his arm over Shana's shoulders. She shuffled with her eyes downcast, definitely not happy with her current situation.

"Wait, a YEAR?" Koyori exclaimed, sitting up straight again. "I didn't agree to a YEAR!" She couldn't believe these two conniving Dwarves were saddling her with such heavy baggage for a whole year! How was she expected to manhunt with an emotionally distraught pre-teen clinging to her?

"Excellent!" Mama Pixie said, clapping her hands in glee. "That settles it! Raccoon-Lady, let us speak of the funds we shall leave you with for Shana, because our little girl has to have the best, even when she's not with us!" Mama pulled out a fat pocketbook and began to do quick math, trying to divide her assets equally amongst her children. Koyori scowled and glared at Shana, who glanced up enough to glare back. This was not the way Koyori expected to be reunited with her little sister, and she wasn't going to pretend otherwise.

Deep within the dark mountains of Elmore, far beneath the ground within an ornate cathedral at the end of the dark and dank Imperial Tomb, the final Prince of the Elmoreden era sat at his grand pipe organ, playing a dirge. He rocked with his playing and giggled, madness from time's passing and his bondage to a demon apparent in every movement. He wore an elegant white and royal purple suit befitting a noble of the Elmoreden era, a red and gold mask hiding the upper half of his face, and an ornate crown upon his head. His hair was long and white like his father's, and styled into the thick dreadlock braids like him. He was Frintezza, the son of Baium.

"How are things going in preparation, Scarlet?" Frintezza asked as the small, frail looking gray-skinned girl approached him. She wore a black leather bikini and loincloth, and had white hair slicked away from her face that trailed down her back. Two long, slender horns protruded from her forehead and curved back around her scalp, marking her demonic heritage. She was the demon which Frintezza had made his contract with years before, a contract which she wanted to be free of now that she realized she could not control the mad king. Instead, it was he who controlled her, the music from his organ being the orders she could not resist. Both of them unaging, they were bound together for eternity. She knelt down to one knee, always feigning her loyalty to him.

"Benom has agreed to clear out Rune Castle in your stead." Scarlet said in a voice too young and innocent for what she truly was. Benom was a demon trapped below Rune Castle; a minotaur-like subordinate of Scarlet's that Frintezza had left behind when he left his throne to live underneath the Imperial Tomb. Frintezza's music stopped abruptly and Scarlet let out the tense breath she'd been holding. He turned slightly on his bench to look at her, a wide, maniacal smile on his face.

"And the sword? Has it responded?" he asked eagerly. Scarlet looked away from him in discomfort, shifting slightly. The sword of which he spoke of was a great golden blade, similar in design to the Zariche only not of demonic origin. It was forged back during the Giants era by request of the Giants for something that could kill the gods themselves. The Dwarf had not been paid properly; the legends go on to say, and had hidden the sword away. It was found in recent years by a Dark Elf seeking revenge for the dishonor the wind god Sayha had brought upon her, and now through a series of events was within Frintezza's possession, waiting for the person born to wield it.

"Yes my lord…several times, most notably when the Zariche's presence disappeared from the mortal plane." She responded after a moment's hesitation. The golden sword, aptly named the God Slayer, could kill even her in one blow. It was a sword dangerous to the immortal ones of the world, and she wondered if Frintezza was inviting his own doom by holding onto it.

Satisfied by her answer Frintezza stood and descended the raised platform his organ was placed upon. Above the mighty instrument was a large portrait of himself during the Elmoreden times, when he was at the height of his power. This portrait was the only thing which he had brought with him from Rune Castle, his narcissism over his own physical appearance taking higher priority in his life than any of his other belongings.

"Excellent. Let us post the Shadows on guard and be off to our old home, shall we?" Frintezza said, his voice light as if he were going on a picnic. Scarlet stood from her mockery of a respectful kneel and followed after him dutifully, scowling. She forced herself to be patient, she merely had to bide her time until the opportunity presented itself to be free from Frintezza's chains. It would come soon, very soon; she could taste it.

Also deep within the earth, farther below than Frintezza could ever wish to get, Shilen reclined on her dais, watching her pool of water with a dark smirk. Only she could see what the water displayed, to everyone else it merely looked like colored lights swirling beneath the serene surface. Today she laughed darkly, enjoying what her pool showed her in its dark green and blue depths.

She glanced up as Valakas entered her domain with the cloaked woman in a burst of flame. Her lips parted in surprise as the cloaked woman pulled away from the embrace Valakas held her in and raced across the polished obsidian floor. She unfastened her cloak as she ran, the rough brown fabric fluttering to the floor like a leaf from a tree. A smile broke out on Shilen's face, one that changed her appearance completely into the innocent beauty she once held as the goddess of water, and she held her arms out to embrace the woman as she dashed to her.

"Mother!" she exclaimed, falling into Shilen's embrace. Shilen held her close and rocked her slightly, stroking her beautiful pink locks gently.

"My darling Shizuka…I'm so happy you've returned to me." Shilen purred. Her eyes and expression no longer that of a vacant airhead, Shizuka smiled brightly at the woman whom had raised her. How the Tetrarchs of both the Dark Elf and Light Elf village would mourn the day they discovered that the prophesized agent of Shilen had been a cheerful, air headed Light Elf all along?


	20. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

_In which there is a lot of sadness, and a dark future ahead. _

"And here is our room for our stay in town. Drop your stuff over there, make sure you don't scratch the floor, they charge extra for any damage." Koyori said in a bored tone as she ushered Shana into the room she'd rented out in the inn. Shana glanced about the classically decorated suite with calculating eyes.

"This room looks expensive…you paid for it with my money, didn't you." Shana accused, spinning around quickly to challenge her elder sister. Koyori lifted an eyebrow at her as she transferred her clothes from her travel pack into the solid oak, hand carved chest of drawers on the wall.

"So what if I did? Your Dwarf mama and papa gave us enough money to survive thirteen lifetimes; you can afford to splurge since I'm taking care of you for the next year." She said logically, folding up a slinky nightie and shoving it into the drawer. Shana gasped in horror and dashed to the chest of drawers, where she began to grab Koyori's clothes and throw them back in her travel pack. "What are you doing?" Koyori exclaimed, trying to stop her.

"This room is too expensive; we need to get a cheaper one! There's nothing more beneficial in this room than in a standard one other than visual appeal!" Shana said almost hysterically, fighting Koyori for the nightie. Koyori's eyes were wide with disbelief at Shana's reaction over spending a little more money than usual. She sounded like an old, money-pinching dwarf!

"Listen!" Koyori grunted, finally pulling the nightgown from Shana's fingers. The material ripped in the struggle and she sucked in an angry hiss of air. "The first thing you need to learn about being a human is that it's ok to splurge when you have the money, so chill out and go take a bath or something!" Shana's mouth dropped open in shock when she said 'splurge', as if it were a curse word.

"Splurge with your own money then, it's rude to help yourself to someone else's adena!" Shana snapped, jutting her chin out as she took on a challenging stance.

"YOU'RE sharing this room with me so it's fine for you to treat me!" Koyori argued in return, taking on her own challenging stance. The two girls growled at each other like angry badgers, their glares charged with sparks of electricity that met somewhere between them. At the same time they both broke into a loud argument, each trying to make the other bend to their logic. It was indeed a start to a not-so beautiful relationship for the two sisters, anyone staying in the inn that night could bear witness to this fact.

A few doors down, blessedly oblivious to the argument between the two girls, Narlafayn sighed in her sleep and rolled onto her back. She had been so exhausted after the fight with the monsters, she'd gone directly to her room with only a kiss of goodnight to Terebel and fallen asleep the instant her head hit the pillows. Terebel seemed equally tired as well, and didn't seem to mind the fact that she wasn't climbing into bed next to him.

Her bedspread shifted and lifted as a body crawled up from below. Narlafayn sighed again as something warm and comfortably heavy pressed against her. Terebel lay upon her, his shoulders and chest bare, and gazed down at her face lovingly. He pushed the strands of hair that trailed across her face away, and then leaned down to kiss her.

Her eyes still shut, for they were just much too heavy to open, Narlafayn responded to his kiss, and bent one of her legs to accommodate him better. He trailed one hand over her chest and down her side to her thigh, where he pushed her nightgown up to feel her skin. She arched her back and moaned softly, breaking the kiss as he shifted upon her and pressed his hips into her groin. His hand slid slowly back up towards her chest from her legs, his arm tensing as he passed her stomach. Narlafayn gasped, her entire body jerking upwards as his gentle caressing ended and he shoved his hand through the soft flesh of her stomach.

Deeper and deeper his hand went, pressing past her stomach until, much to her terror, he wrapped his fingers around what felt like her spine. A scream gurgled in her throat and she clenched her hands on white sheets that were staining in the gush of blood that poured from the wound he'd made. He rose to his knees above her, pulling what he'd clenched. She glanced down at him, her face speckled with her own blood and hyperventilating, as the thing Terebel held emerged from her stomach. A scream finally tore from her lips as a long-handled hammer was torn from her body.

"Narlafayn!" Leon exclaimed, hearing her screaming all the way from his room. He dashed in, dressed in the under tunic he wore with his armor, his face contorted into fright for his friend. Narlafayn flailed against the horrific scenes still fresh in her eyes from her dream, and Leon grabbed her arms to pin her down. "Oh my god!" He gasped as blood covered her nightgown and bed, and searched its source. Narlafayn struggled against him, stopping in her terrified screaming long enough to stare in shock at the blood.

"What's going on in here?" Terebel exclaimed, bursting in. "What did you do to her, get away!" he snarled, thinking Leon had assailed her. Once Terebel met her eyes she began screaming and struggling again, still delirious from her nightmare. He took a step back, as she looked at him in fear, finally ceasing in her flailing to cling to Leon. Her expression froze him solid, never before ever seeing such a look of fear on someone's face. It was as if he had done horrible, torturous things to her.

Drawn by the sound of her voice, the rest of their group of friends peered in the room, each making noises of shock at the blood covering Narlafayn and her bed. It was Komugi whom finally entered the room and detached Narlafayn from Leon long enough to inspect her for wounds.

"There's nothing here." She said in sheer confusion, puzzled. The blood on her nightgown and bed was warm and fresh, but Narlafayn's skin was untouched and pristine. "This is crazy, there's enough blood warranting someone being murdered and she doesn't have a scratch on her."

"Narlafayn, what happened?" Leon asked his friend gently. She still whimpered in fear and stared at Terebel, whom had fallen against the wall, watching her helplessly. He didn't know why she was suddenly afraid of him, but it was breaking his heart the longer she stared at him. "Narlafayn." Leon said firmly, grabbing her face and making her look at him. She finally tore her gaze away from Terebel and focused on Leon, tears welling in her eyes and streaming down her face. She began to shiver in aftershock, and Leon hugged her close.

"What in god's name…?" the innkeeper's voice came as he pushed himself through the crowd. "I knew the lot of you would be bad news! Haven't you had enough blood? Wasn't that battle yesterday enough?" he raged, taking notice first of the stained sheets. "I come in to deliver some urgent letters and I find this carnage! I want the lot of you out!" he pointed to the door as he shouted, trembling with fury.

"Sir, we're unsure of where the blood has come from, our friend is not injured." Gatz said smoothly, finally putting to use the business savvy that his uncle's secretary had been trying to pound into him the past two years. "That aside, we will leave if you so wish it, and properly pay for the expenses incurred by the damage this phantom blood has done." Komugi and Koyori all blinked at Gatz in shock, never hearing him sound so professional before. Sharmin was strangely not present, and Komugi idly wondered how she was sleeping through the noise.

"You said letters?" Leon asked as the innkeeper stuttered, embarrassed by the respect Gatz had just shown him. The innkeeper stared at him blankly for a moment before recalling why he'd come up in the first place.

"Oh yes, two different sets. One is a summons for anyone from a clan called 'Haibane'; you're supposed to report immediately to Aden, something urgent has come up. Next set is for a Mr. DiValmont, a Mr. Windawood and a Ms. Kerr with an additional order to head to Aden from the honorable Sir Cedric Athebaldt. Dunno what's going on, but it sounds like you folks need to roll out, bloody room or no." he said, tossing the opened letters on Narlafayn's table.

"It would do you kindly to not read other people's mail." Zaken's voice could be heard growling from the hallway. The innkeeper shrugged and stuck a finger up his nose in an uncouth manner.

"Comes through my front desk, it's my property until I deliver it." He said logically, wandering out of the room.

"Well this is just peachy…an official summons and Narlafayn is currently Looney tunes." Komugi grumbled, pushing herself to her feet to return to her room to pack.

"I'll be alright." Narlafayn said, her mind finally reconnecting to reality. She glanced at Terebel, who now had his eyes shut. His Adam's apple bobbed in his throat as he swallowed hard, as if fighting against tears. Narlafayn pushed herself away from Leon and climbed over the bed towards Terebel. She stumbled as she stood, her legs strangely weak, and fell onto him, hugging him tightly.

"Let's give them a moment…" Leon said, ushering people from the room. Narlafayn stayed clinging to him, her head buried against his neck until he slowly raised his arms to hug her in return. He let out a breath he'd been holding in tension, letting his muscles relax. The blood on her nightgown and bed were still a mystery, but he was relieved she didn't hate him for some unknown reason and wasn't injured.

"Don't ever look at me like that again." He pleaded with a cracked voice, pressing his lips against the top of her head. Narlafayn nodded and hugged him tighter. He let out an involuntary squeaking wheeze, her strength squeezing the noise from his lungs. Narlafayn giggled at the noise and lifted her head, the tense moment between the pair faded with that one sound. Embarrassed, Terebel squeezed her in return, earning the same kind of noise. Narlafayn's face turned red with it and then the pair dissolved into laughter.

"God, why do I have to go just because Ryonai's the castle lord of Innadril?" Koyori exclaimed in frustration. She slammed the room door shut after Shana entered and sat down on her bed in agitation. "It sounds like something bad and fighting-related and Einhasad damn it, I've had enough of blood and guts to last me another six years!" She folded her arms across her chest with a huff and glared, unhappy that after all of her time yearning for the comfy, expensive inn room, she wouldn't get a chance to enjoy it.

"We don't have to go, do we?" Shana asked quietly. Koyori looked up to find her tracing the lines of the table positioned near the door, her face unreadable. Her expression softening, Koyori pursed her lips. It was super unfair for Shana more than her, she realized, to be thrust in the middle of clan-related politics all of a sudden.

"If we had something else to do, we wouldn't have to go." Koyori said, her expression brightening. She began to ponder over what excuse she could send with the rest of her clan to get out of going to Aden. Shana's face brightened too and she fell to her knees next to Koyori.

"Can we go look for my siblings?" she asked hopefully. Koyori frowned slightly as she looked into Shana's shining, magenta-colored eyes. She remembered thinking Shana's eyes an oddity as a child, and now being hit with 100-watt rays from them made her uncomfortable. She also didn't want to travel all the way to the northern half of Elmore in search of some Dwarves she could care less about, but it seemed to be their only believable excuse at the moment.

"I guess…but if you break down in emotional trauma from being back up there, don't come crying to me." Koyori said flatly, lowering her eyelids in annoyance. Shana's hopeful look dropped into something more somber, and Koyori instantly felt guilty for what she'd said. It was still much too soon for her to say what she did, she realized. Shana was just holding up so incredibly well she'd forgotten. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that." Koyori said quietly. She hugged Shana close as the doll-like blank expression returned to the girl's face, and rocked her gently. She could act like a sister she supposed, it was just going to take a lot of practice.

Deep within the Abyss, Shilen still reclined upon her dais. Cuddling close to her like a child was Shizuka, her eyes shut as if sleeping. Shilen smiled at her warmly and brushed the bangs from her daughter's forehead, kissing the skin that became exposed. Shizuka opened her eyes and smiled serenely, overjoyed beyond belief to be back in her mother's embrace.

"So I take it you did everything I asked you to?" Shilen asked, caressing Shizuka's cheek with her finger. Shizuka nodded enthusiastically and Shilen chuckled, ending her caress with a tap to her daughter's nose. "I have something else to request of you my dearest," she began, sitting up. Shizuka pushed herself to her knees and looked at her mother eagerly, always happy to carry out her orders.

"What do you wish of me to do now, mother? Is it time to collect my chosen?" Shizuka asked brightly. Shilen chuckled again and swung her legs over the side of her dais to stand gracefully.

"Are we eager to get started?" Shilen asked, amused. Shizuka blushed and giggled, stretching her arms over her head in a languid motion.

"I am eager to release you from your pain, mother, that is all." She answered smartly, falling over to lie on her stomach upon the black silken dais.

"Good girl." She purred, stroking Shizuka's head as if she were a pet. "Then what I am going to ask you to do will help in my release and remove an obstacle that could prevent you from carrying out your first orders." Shilen strolled elegantly down the steps leading to the platform her dais was on. Her silver shackle clinked as she moved, the only sound in an otherwise quiet room.

"What will you have me do, mother?" Shizuka asked eagerly, bending her legs at her knees and crossing her ankles as they waved in the air. Shilen smiled darkly and turned to face her, pleased that Shizuka had learned well the right things to say to her, all the time.

"I need you to go remove a pest for me darling…an old pest…" Shilen said, her eyes narrowing, making her smile sinister. Shizuka jumped up from the dais, taught from childhood that once Shilen gives you an order, you don't dawdle in executing it, sometimes literally.

"May I bring Valakas with me?" she asked, retrieving her traveling cloak from where it still laid on the floor.

"Do as you wish." Shilen responded, waving her hand elegantly. Orders were whispered inside of Shizuka's mind, and she shut her eyes as she memorized them. She then laughed delightfully in thanks before disappearing in a swirl of air.

Such a good, obedient child Shizuka was, Shilen was quite proud of herself for influencing her brother to seduce one of her creations in the first place. This plan was going increasingly better than the first one had…Einhasad hadn't caught on to Shizuka like she had the useless Appylonia and Elehar. Such useless fools those two had been…and then to let themselves get sent to another world and die there…it embarrassed Shilen to call them her creation-children.

The group arrived in Aden just as the sun was peeking over the horizon. They all trudged down the church steps to the square, weary from lack of sleep. Sharmin lingered to the back of the group they traveled in, and glanced in worry over her shoulder to the church. She squinted hard at it, trying to magically sense if Ferrol were locked up somewhere within its stone walls.

Ryonai and Vuylay stood at the center of the square, waiting for the clan as they made their way towards him. Ryonai wore robes and a crown befitting the Lord of Innadril, but a scowl painted his face and tainted the royal aura. Vuylay averted everyone's gaze as they glanced to her curiously, wondering why Ryonai looked so angry.

"Shizuka's not with you?" he demanded before anyone had even spoken a word of greeting to him. There was an exchange of confused glances and everyone shook their head at him in turn. He cursed loudly and punched the pedestal next to him, erected to honor those whom were recognized as heroes.

"What happened?" Komugi asked, nosy despite her best intentions.

"Shizuka disappeared from the castle a few days ago; we haven't been able to find her." Vuylay answered as Ryonai cursed and winced. The ridges on the pedestal had proven to be painful upon impact, and he nursed sore knuckles.

"You can't sense anything…?" Narlafayn asked in a low voice, approaching her friend. Vuylay pursed her lips and shook her head, worry apparent in her expression.

"It's so strange…it's like she's suddenly cut me off from experiencing her emotions…I don't understand it." Vuylay said, rubbing her right arm with her left hand as if cold. "Ryonai hasn't been in the best of humor since I told him I couldn't sense her…we haven't really been speaking to each other." She added, pain adding to the worry. Narlafayn reached out and embraced her friend in sympathy, knowing the pain Vuylay went through in her emotional battle over her feelings for Ryonai.

"Sir Cedric!" Leon's voice exclaimed suddenly. Everyone looked up as the aged Paladin marched towards them from the east side of town, flanked by two knights.

"Ah Leon, it's good to see you again." Cedric said with a curt smile. His eyes glanced over the other faces in the crowd, his expression relaxing into surprise as he saw Sharmin wearing Avadon armor, Gatz looking like an accomplished fighter, and finally Ryonai wearing a Lord's crown. "Well I'll be…you've all come a surprisingly long way, haven't you." A warm smile broke out on his face and he laughed as he approached Ryonai. He clapped the young Lord on his back just as he had when Ryonai was just a boy in his school, earning an annoyed glare from him. "Sharmin Kerr, you're still holding up! I'm proud of you!" Cedric exclaimed, surprising her by crushing her with a bear hug. "I see your spitfire of a sister is looking accomplished too…" Komugi responded to his compliment by hissing like a cat, her hair prickling out in old annoyance.

"Thank you for your compliments, sir." Gatz responded, his ego inflating with finally being complimented by his old teacher. Cedric's smile dropped and he looked at Gatz with a blank expression.

"Who were you again?" he asked, his brow furrowing. Gatz's smile dropped and his ego shrunk so fast Sharmin swore she saw his soul go flying into the sky like a deflating balloon. Cedric's grin returned a second later and he patted Gatz on the shoulder roughly. "I'm just joking, you've come a long way yourself young Windawood, I'm sure both Collin and Brenton are proud!" He put one arm around Sharmin and the other around Ryonai, pressing them close as he began to lead them towards the Warrior's guild. "It's great to see everyone again, but a shame it has to be under such circumstances. Let's get out of the public eye and I'll brief everyone on why you've been summoned to Aden today."

Haibane and Leon were led into the large guild hall reserved for teaching warriors and brought them into a briefing room. After making sure no one was lingering around to listen at the door, Cedric shut it firmly and took a composing breath.

"I'll cut right to the chase. You are only one of six alliances brought together right now for a disruption we hope amounts to no more than some radicals trying to disturb the treaty. Scouts at both Border Gates have had trouble recently with mercenary groups from Elmore attacking travelers. The King of Aden's response of course was to tighten security, but Elmore's response to that has been to send larger groups of actual troops." He paused to wet his lips and began pacing around the room, holding his hands in front of him to imitate the size of the forces Elmore had been sending. "Now, we're trying to take care of this as discreet as possible, which is why I didn't want to speak outside, the Holy Mother knows our treaty with Elmore is strained enough as it is."

"Then why gather so many people together, if you're trying to be discreet? Nothing says going to war like six clans and their allies." Ryonai said logically, frowning. "Did you even think of sending an envoy to speak with the King of Rune?" Cedric sighed and marched over to a bookshelf where he pulled a jar full of yellow liquid from behind a stack of books.

"We did, and this is what was sent back to us." He said, slamming the jar down on the table. Suspended in the liquid were one eye, an ear, and a strip of flesh that appeared to possibly be a lip. Zaken hugged Komugi protectively as she made a noise of disgust, and several others looked away.

"Oh, he got caught up with some Requiem Lords I see." Vlad said brightly, scratching a tooth with his finger. "He got let off easy then, lucky bastard." Several people turned to look at him, bewildered and he paused mid-scratch to blink at them innocently. "What?" he asked, confused.

"At least they sent you back something for his family to remember him by." Emixia spoke up, earning more surprised looks, including one from Vlad. She spoke so rarely it was sometimes difficult to remember she were there.

"You're familiar with Elmore's methods then?" Cedric asked, taking the jar from the table and placing back on the book shelf. Vlad noisily licked the tooth he had been scratching, and nodded once.

"Very familiar. I used to take prisoners of war to the Forest of the Dead at one time myself." He sighed in memory and rolled onto the balls of his feet. "Ugly ugly ritual they have too…first they tie the person up by their feet and then take a dull skinning knife and starting with their toes they…"

"So what are we going to be doing here?" Ryonai asked, not wanting some of the members of his clan with weaker constitutions to faint. Sharmin, whom looked green after seeing the remains of Aden's envoy, gave him a look of thanks.

"So far, your job will be simple. You'll simply have to go out in patrol groups and make sure there aren't any people causing trouble. At this point we can't really tell who's from Elmore and who's just a run of the mill Aden bandit, so just take in anyone you see causing some trouble." Cedric said easily with a curt nod. He lifted a stack of papers from a small stand beside him and began to pass them out. "I've taken the liberty of going through Ryonai's clan roster and dividing you into the scouting teams based on your class. Normally we would leave this to the clan leader, but we're pressed for time here." Haibane began to murmur quietly amongst themselves as they compared schedules with one another. Terebel cursed softly to himself as he discovered he and Narlafayn's schedules were completely opposite one another. Once he came back in she would go out, and then their schedules had them located at different parts of the city at the same time. They would hardly see each other, if at all.

"Fate reeeeeally wants it to shrivel up and die." He grumbled to himself as he peered over Narlafayn's shoulder. Knowing exactly what it was he spoke of, Narlafayn froze with her cheeks burning in embarrassment.

"So when does this whole scouting and guarding thing begin?" Ryonai asked, pouring over his own schedule with an intense expression.

"We need to get this mess settled as quickly as possible." Cedric said, walking around the briefing room again. "You will all begin the instant you leave this guild. I wish you luck."

Still in the middle of Goddard Territory, Mune raced back to the cave she'd discovered with a leather water sack. It was evening, and an electrical storm had begun moments before. Mune didn't want to be caught in the rocky gorge she raced through should lightning decide to strike.

She slipped into the cave breathless just as a crack of thunder and lightning split the sky. She winced at the noise and squeezed the leather bottle, some of the water gushing out the top and spilling onto the ground. Realizing what she'd done she gasped and jumped backwards, trying not to get her legs wet.

"I brought some water." She said, venturing deeper into the cave where Evzen lay. She was surprised to have found an oil dish with a wick and a small pouch of oil in Evzen's pack, and had put it to immediate use. The dim light from the tiny lamp flickered spooky shadows onto the cave walls, but it was comforting to have.

She knelt beside Evzen and lifted his head gently to pour some of the water down his throat. He swallowed with difficulty, his wounds still not healed. He still could not speak, and Mune feared lasting damage to his vocal cords. She hoped that if she kept taking care of him he would regain enough energy to heal himself, but the chances of such seemed to be looking bleaker and bleaker as the days rolled by.

Evzen smacked his lips softly, the motion Mune had come to recognize as his thanks when she fed him food or water. He looked at her through bleary, half-shut eyes, and Mune swallowed hard against the fear that tried to show on her face. She'd bound up his wounds as best as she could, but she was no healer. The best she had were a few songs unique to her chosen job path, but all of them were to invigorate the senses to increase one's speed or help them in battle.

Mune sat near the mouth of the cave later after Evzen had fallen asleep, her back against the smooth rocks just inside the entrance and her feet propped up on the rock wall facing her. Evzen slept a lot these days, and Mune feared he was slipping into a coma due to his injuries. In this world, once you were in a coma it was the end. There wasn't enough patience or money in anyone to care for a person stuck forever asleep, and most were allowed to peacefully pass on into the Abyss. The thought of Evzen finding such a fate made Mune's chest tight, and she made a pained face as she rubbed it.

"Mune." Evzen rasped, startling Mune from her thoughts. She sat up quickly and looked at him, worried. He was awake again, but his eyes were glassy as they stared at the ceiling of the small cave. She crawled over to him on all fours, and put her hand over his, where it was clenched on top of his chest. He looked like he was in excruciating pain, and his lips had turned white.

"What's the matter? Are you thirsty again?" she asked, panicked. She reached for the water sack and lifted his head to give him another drink, only to discover in dismay that it had toppled over when she wasn't looking, all of the water spilling out. Cursing, she put his head back down gently and jumped to her feet. "Don't worry, I'll be right back, I'm just going to get some more water." She promised, dashing out. Evzen was the color of papyrus, and his mouth moved as if he were trying to talk. It broke her heart to see him like that, with his eyes so glassy and staring at nothing.

The electrical storm had passed to a rainstorm, which pelted her with large, cold droplets of rain. She slid in the mud the dusty ground had become and fell onto her bottom, holding the water sack in the air to keep it from getting dirty. Cursing loudly this time she pushed herself to her feet and stumbled to the pool of water across from her to fill it again.

Inside the cave, Evzen's clenched hand began to glow, ever so faintly. He slowly shut his eyes, wincing in concentration as the glow began to spread over his chest and down his other arm. His breathing increased as he tried desperately to heal himself with a body just barely hanging onto life.

A flash of lightning flickered across the sky as Mune watched the water sack release bubbles as it filled, rainwater pouring off of her head and face and adding to the water in the pool. She blinked water out of her eyes as movement caught her attention and looked up. She squinted through the gloom of the stormy evening and lifted a hand to push sopping hair from her eyes, trying to discern what she'd seen. A surge of hope shot through her limbs as she made out two figures walking at an angle, one taller one trying to protect a shorter from the torrential rain. She let the water sack slip from her fingers and sink to the bottom of the shallow pool as she stood up, hope alive on her face.

"HEY!" she shouted loudly, trying to be heard over the roar of rain. She waved her arms until the travelers stopped and turned in her direction. Mune jogged towards them, overjoyed and letting her face show it. As she drew closer to the pair, she caught a glimpse of the face of the shorter. Relief flooded her senses as she recognized Shizuka, the Elven Elder girlfriend of her clan leader. "Oh praise Eva! Thank the gods you happened by!" she said in a rush, reaching for Shizuka's hands and turning towards the cave to pull her there without an explanation. She didn't bother wondering why it was Shizuka was there in Elmore then, those were questions that could be saved for another time, Evzen's life was more important.

Shizuka surprised her by jerking away from her grasp, giving her a look of sheer hatred, as if Mune were the most disgusting thing on earth. Mune turned around to look at her in shock, not understanding Shizuka's sudden reaction. "Won't you help me?" she asked, her eyes large. Shizuka only glared at her and turned towards her companion. The taller figure in the cloak lifted a clawed red hand to the hood, and as he pulled it back his body elongated and changed shape, the head that emerged that of the fearsome fire dragon itself, growling menacingly. Before Mune had a chance to even breathe a gasp of fear, Valakas let loose a fireball that engulfed Mune's vision, filling it with nothing but red flame.

Inside the cave, Evzen's entire body was bathed in the bright white light of healing, and his breathing was no longer wheezes of pain. His eyes snapped open as the light diminished, clear and full of life once again.

"I'm sorry about this delay; I won't let anyone else hinder us." Valakas apologized, returning to his disguised form as he pulled his hood back over his head.

"You have no reason to apologize Valakas; we have plenty of time yet." Shizuka said brightly, cuddling against Valakas' body as he began shielding her from the rain again. They walked away, leaving a steaming, charred body that had once been Mune Teristen, in the mud.

Mune was somehow still alive as she lay twitching on the ground. She stared into the sky as rain pelted down on her blackened skin, both hurting her with its intensity and easing the pain of the burns. _What...why…is this happening? Isn't Shizuka a friend?_ She thought mournfully, her body trying desperately to tremble in shock. _I only wanted to find a new Mother Tree…that's all…that's…all… _If she were able, she would've cried then, but she found her body strangely unresponsive, even when she tried to blink.

Just as her vision began darkening, Evzen's face appeared, whole and healed. He shut his eyes as he leaned towards her, and as blackness took over her sight, she had the strangest sensation that he was kissing her.

Back in Aden, Gatz held open the door down into Aden Castle's jail as Sharmin passed through it, hugging herself. Gatz had used his name and Uncle's influence to get them into the jail where Ferrol was being held after they'd worked their scouting shift. He was surprised to find out the Necromancer was still alive, but he feared the state they'd find him in. He'd tried to go down before Sharmin, to check on Ferrol before Sharmin would see him, but she insisted on being the first in, saying Ferrol wouldn't recognize him.

It was dark as Sharmin descended the stairs into Aden's dungeon, the flickering torchlight meant to light the stairway only illuminating small patches of steps. It was as if the darkness was tangible here, and sucked the light away from everywhere but tiny circles around the torches. Sharmin rubbed her arms as she descended the stairs, hearing the sound of water dripping somewhere far away.

The sound of a whip cracking followed by a scream of pain met her ears as she reached the bottom of the steps, and she jumped at the noise. Gatz put an arm around her shoulders protectively and led her in the opposite direction of the sound. She looked over her shoulder as he led her down a dark corridor, and winced as the shadows on the wall behind her displayed the man who screamed in agony and his muscle-bound torturer whipping him with what looked like a cat o'nine tails. She shivered and turned back, rubbing her arms again. Gatz squeezed her protectively, and she looked up to find him staring straight ahead, looking as if he were ready to take on anyone if they tried to touch her. She smiled warmly at his expression, finding it comforting in such an unforgiving place.

She gasped lightly as they came into a room full of jail cells, seeing Ferrol instantly. He was slumped face-first against the bars of his cell, his arm resting on the floor outside of it, as if he'd fallen unconscious while reaching for something. Sharmin raced to him, and discovered with a stab in her heart, that some cruel jailer had placed a glass of water just out of his reach and it had toppled, the precious liquid spilling across the floor.

"Get the keys!" she said urgently, looking desperately at Gatz. He flew across the room to the wall where the cell keys hung, and tossed them back across the room. Sharmin caught them and began flipping through them, trying to find the one that would unlock Ferrol's door.

She fell to her knees to catch him as she finally found the right key and opened the cell door. He wheezed for air as she turned him over to lie across her lap, his lips parting slightly as she moved him. He had been tortured, this much was obvious by the increase in his gray hair, and Sharmin feared she had come too late. He opened his eyes a crack as she sniffled loudly, tears welling in her eyes and threatening to spill over.

"Dearest Sharmin, if you are a pre-death apparition, you are the sweetest thing that could ever come guide me to the Abyss." Ferrol said in a raspy whisper, smiling slightly. Sharmin held him firmly and sniffled again as the tears finally fell, dropping onto his face like rain. His eyes opened a little wider as he realized she was real, and he raised a hand to touch her cheek.

"I'll go speak with the jailer; we'll try to get him out of here." Gatz murmured, bending down to squeeze Sharmin's shoulder before jogging off into the darkness. Sharmin watched him go, sniffling again, before looking back down at Ferrol. He seemed so frail, so weak, like an old man. _What a difference on one's physical appearance the strength of heart makes,_ she thought.

"We're going to get you out of here, Ferrol." Sharmin promised, her voice thick. Ferrol blinked and shifted his head slightly in curiosity. He sighed lightly and smiled, patting her cheek like an old man. Sharmin's eyes widened as he shook his head and swallowed, trying to wet his dry mouth.

"There were so many ways I wanted to tell this to you my dear Sharmin…but I find that I'm only left with one, forward option." Ferrol began. The tone of his voice sent shots of ice through Sharmin's veins and she began to tremble. "You don't have to believe me, I don't expect you to…but…you're my daughter…the one that was taken from Dierdre and me. You were given to Deirdre's half-sister Prisca and her husband right after you were born and they were ordered to never let me near you." Sharmin's lips parted as he spoke, and shifted him as his knowing chuckle turned into a cough. "Oh yes, I tried to come for you…but that Zephan had come to love you as his own and fought me tooth and nail. He was quite the brawler for a simple farmer, I was surprised he never became a warrior with that kind of strength…" again he attempted to laugh, only to succumb to a coughing fit.

"I…I know." Sharmin began, her voice trembling. "I don't know how I've known…but I felt it. Just a little nagging feeling at first that I didn't want to think about…but I've known all along." She sniffled loudly, and removed one hand from holding him to wipe her nose. Ferrol smiled sadly at her through nearly shut eyes, tears falling from the corners of them and sliding through the tiny wrinkles there.

"I'm glad then...my Sharmin…no...I can rest now that I've called you by the name your mother gave you…my Lieve…" his voice faded as he spoke, and Sharmin's heart began to thud loudly in her chest as his body relaxed.

"Ferrol?" she said, her voice cracking. She shook him once before looking up desperately. "Gatz…GATZ!" she screamed. She sobbed openly and laid Ferrol on the ground gently; taking his hand in hers and rocking back and forth slightly as she tried to heal him with her weak Paladin cure magic. Gatz came racing down the corridor with the jailer, and dropped to his knees next to Ferrol. After pressing two fingers to his neck he hugged Sharmin close, holding her as she cried and tried to heal the man who was her father.


	21. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

_In which Terebel hears an old fairy tale and Mune learns about Rainbow Ore_

Early the next morning, Terebel left the safety of Aden's walls with the group he'd been set with to begin their scouting. His group was projected to travel towards the Forsaken Plains, an area which he hadn't to since his Palus Knight days. It brought back a lot of unpleasant memories to be there again, memories of his mothers, and the strange dream device they'd put on him.

He wondered how his mothers were doing at times, but most of the time he despised their memory. They'd made his life a living hell as a child, and even though Maeve hadn't been much of an improvement, he knew he had been better off in her care. Curiosity still ate at him however, and he resisted the urge to break off from the scouting group to venture into the Giant's Cave and see if they were there.

"Hey, you guys think that if everything's quiet out here, we can head back to town early?" Terebel asked his group as they walked. They glanced between each other; no one really appointed the leader, and none wanting to take a stand and answer. Terebel honestly wanted to get back with enough time to catch Narlafayn before she headed out with her scouting group. He'd never wanted to be with someone as badly as he wanted to be with Narlafayn at that moment, it seemed the more he was denied her company, the more he craved it. It was plain for him to see that she wanted it too, but her frustratingly nice side always won out whenever they were interrupted, leaving Terebel to deal with his bottled up emotions on his own.

"Bandits." A Hawkeye suddenly exclaimed, lifting his bow and fitting an arrow into it. Terebel jumped, his fantasy of Narlafayn startled away. About fifty feet ahead of them a group of five bandits were pulling on a Dark Elven woman in tattered clothing, trying to pry some sort of jewel off of her chest. The Hawkeye let his arrow fly, and it hit one of the bandits straight through the head. His companions dropped the Dark Elf woman as he fell and fled, taking off in opposite directions.

"After them!" a Plainswalker shouted, and Terebel's scouting party separated to chase after the bandits, eager for a fight. Terebel sheathed the swords he'd drawn in caution, and approached the woman on the ground. He frowned in confusion as stray bolts of green electricity coursed over the woman's body, causing her limbs to jerk. His lips parted as he recognized the vacant expression of Zraa, the supposed mother whom birthed him.

"Mom!" he breathed, falling to his knees and lifting her up. Her body still twitched as the electricity flowed over her, its source a strange green crystal that he instantly assumed was a modification from the Giants. Terebel glanced around himself in worry that someone would see her before lifting her up and carrying her over to a grove of close-growing pine trees. He sat on a rock placed at their center and sat her on his lap as if she were a child.

Her arms were drawn up to her chest with the electrical zaps, and Terebel wondered if the strange crystal was malfunctioning due to the strain the bandits had put upon it. He held her against his chest and watched her eyes as they rolled around her head like a doll's. She suddenly stiffened in his arms and then went limp, her head lolling backwards precariously.

"Mom? What's wrong with you?" Terebel asked, not afraid that his mother had suddenly died. He knew her better than that, whatever modifications the Giants had made to her would prevent her from ever stepping foot in the Abyss.

"The Life Crystal has been damaged, systems switching to beta." Zraa said, her head snapping back up. She sat upright in his lap and stared straight ahead for a moment before rolling backwards again as if the bones had disappeared from her body. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, surprising Terebel with the lifelike quality of it. It'd been so long since he'd seen any normal actions or gestures from his mothers, even something simple like breathing, that it was surprising to feel her do it now.

"Mom?" he asked again, as she stared up to the clouds. Her eyes were still empty and lifeless, but she blinked slowly as if in thought. She glanced at him, staring without expression for a moment before lifting a hand to pat his face lightly.

"Son unit, you have aged." She said in muted surprise. Zraa had always been more expressive than her sister Polar, his other mother. Terebel gave her a half smile and shifted her weight to lean more against his chest, his arm growing tired with supporting her.

"Yeah, it's been about fifty years since I saw you last." He said with a wry smile. "Those of us living in the real world do tend to age in that time." He wrinkled his nose and drew away as she stuck one of her fingers into his nostril, like a child. "It's ironic that I was just thinking about you and mom, and then here you are. What are you doing outside of the Giant's Cave? Does mom know you're out here?" Zraa's lips parted slightly as her empty eyes searched his face, and Terebel wondered if she had even understood him.

"The chaos is there…" she breathed, her voice tinged with fright. Terebel frowned, his eyebrows furrowing. Real fear showed in her expression, surprising him yet again.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, becoming impatient with her. She took another breath and shut her eyes; something Terebel remembered her doing as she tried to recall some purposefully forgotten memory.

"Once upon a time there was a woman…a beautiful woman…a Celebrant of the Abyss…" Zraa began, her voice sounding more normal and alive than he'd ever heard it before. "She was sought after by many men, but took none to her bed for in her dreams each night she had a lover. A dark lover scented with the things that made the Abyss desirable." She opened her eyes slightly and looked at him, to make sure he was listening to her. "This man…this…being of chaos…visited her so many times in her dreams that one night, while her body was fertile; it believed that one of their encounters had been fruitful. She conceived with dream seed and in a few months' time gave birth to twin girls."

Terebel stared at her in disbelief now, trying to make sense of what she'd said. Was this their story? Was Zraa trying to tell him that his grandfather was some dark, chaotic dream being…?

The words 'dark chaos' suddenly tolled through Terebel's mind like a funeral bell, shaking him to his core and chilling it with ice. Chaos. Darkness. There were only a few beings in the world that were well known to take mortals as lovers while they slept…

"Who is your father, mom? Who is my grandfather?" Terebel asked in a hushed voice, recalling Maeve's words before the siege on Innadril. Zraa opened her eyes fully and tilted her head at him, her face back in the expressionless mask.

"Ballard." Zraa said simply. Terebel's eye twitched suddenly feeling stupid for asking. Of course Ballard wasn't his grandfather as well as his father, not even his insane mothers were crazy enough for something like that. Zraa was obviously loosing what was left of her mind, and it didn't surprise Terebel one bit. Unless she meant…Ballard could tell him?

The grass behind him rustled as someone passed through it, and the sharp edge of a blade pressed against his throat before he could turn and look at who approached. He swallowed hard and glanced up to find Polar's vacant expression staring down at him now, her eyes twitching as she tried to remember his face.

"It is the son unit." Zraa explained, always knowing her sister's thoughts. Polar's eyebrows rose in interest and she removed the blade of her sword from his neck and sheathed it again. Zraa shifted in Terebel's lap and stood shakily, still weak from the crystal's malfunctioning.

"Thank you son unit. You are still functioning, this is exemplary." Polar said, taking Zraa by the arm to help her walk. "Come communicate with us some time, we are always here." She began to lead Zraa away towards the Giant's cave, a journey which threatened to be slow due to Zraa's weakness. Terebel just watched them go silently, Zraa's story eating away at him despite feeling tricked by it. Desperate to know what it meant he took a step after them.

"Wait." He called. Polar and Zraa turned to glance at him, and he wet his lips in sudden nervousness. "What did you mean by just saying 'Ballard'? Are you trying to convince me he's my grandfather or something? I already know he's my father." Terebel said, shifting his weight onto one foot. Zraa and Polar glanced at one another, speaking to each another in their silent manner.

"The seed provider will decipher all inquiries." Polar said simply before leading her sister away. Terebel watched them until they were but a speck in the distance, unease slowly gnawing at his insides until he could stand it no longer. Hissing under his breath he dashed back in the direction of Aden. So Ballard could tell him what he needed to know? Maybe it was time that he sat down and had a heart-to-heart with his old man…

The comforting darkness that had overtaken Mune's vision began to fade, and she shifted as consciousness returned to her. She opened her eyes and blinked as they focused slowly on the wooden crossbeams above her. _How'd I get here?_ She wondered, understanding that she was in a room. Evzen's face came into focus next, hovering over her head with his eyes shut. She realized his hands were on her head, the comforting light of his healing spell warming the skin there.

Reality returned in an instant and she thrashed wildly, the shock from being burned alive finally catching up to her. Evzen drew back as she flailed, and watched her in worry as she jumped up. Mune backed across the room until her back slammed against the wall farthest away from where Evzen sat. She was dressed in a nightgown again, she noticed, and Evzen had positioned a chair at the head of the bed she'd been lying on.

She glanced up as she saw herself against the wall opposite of where she had plastered herself. Her breath caught in her throat in a gasp that refused to surface as her throat constricted. She was sure she was staring at herself in a mirror, with the ornately decorated frame that surrounded her image. But that couldn't be her…it had to be a trick mirror…

"I'm sorry, I wasn't finished yet." Evzen apologized with a sympathetic expression. Mune's hands shook as she reached up to touch her scalp gingerly. Where her hair had once been now was smooth skin barely dusted with short hairs like peach fuzz. She let out a screaming wail of agony as she recalled everything that had happened up until then. Evzen was with her as her knees buckled in shock, catching her before she fell. Why had Shizuka been with the dragon Valakas? Why did she attack her own clan mate? Why was Sentinel Rayen part of a mercenary group killing innocent travelers? These questions she felt would never be answered.

"My hair…" she wailed, and then sobbed loudly. Evzen sat down on the side of the bed with her and rocked her, shushing her gently. He rubbed her back as she cried, and was surprised somewhere in the back of his mind, that Mune was allowing him to comfort her.

A merchant who traded with the Varka Silenos had passed by not long after Evzen had emerged from the cave to find Mune nearly dead. He'd helped Evzen gently transfer Mune onto his wagon and had taken them the last of their journey to Goddard. They'd been painfully close to their destination, they'd just somehow gotten lost in the outskirts of the Varka Silenos Outpost southwest of Goddard.

Evzen had been working all night on healing the extensive burns covering her body. He made sure to give thanks to Eva many times as he healed, knowing that it was the rain water that had buffered the fire from the dragon's mouth to harm her no more than cooking her skin. He'd seen Valakas' work before, and knew that usually only a charred skeleton remained after the unlucky person had faced his fiery breath. Mune had regained consciousness just as he began encouraging her hair to grow, much to his dismay. He had hoped she would've stayed asleep until he'd grown it out to the length it had been before the attack, to help ease the shock.

The door to their room opened an hour later, and Mune emerged alone. She stared at Evzen's back as he rolled over, shutting the door gently as to not disturb him. She walked down the hall of the inn, hugging herself, her eyes downcast. Downy soft hair floated around her head in the length she'd chopped it in before, but it didn't feel like her hair. It was too soft, too fresh, and just added to the discomfort of her memories. Evzen had assured her, before falling asleep with exhaustion, that it would eventually take on the texture it had before being attacked, it would just take a few hours.

Her armor gleamed in the dim light of the hallway, freshly polished to rid it of the searing stains from Valakas' flame. The red and gold dress she wore underneath her armor had been burned with her skin, but Evzen had a new one brought to the room long before she had gained consciousness. Again something else she owed Evzen for, she thought bitterly. She began to wonder at that point if she'd ever get out of that man's debt.

"Did you hear? They say those Aden bastards are declaring war!" a man whispered to his companion as Mune passed them. She paused, her eyes large and slid out of sight to listen to them. Her ears strained to pick up more threads of their conversation, and she narrowed her eyes in concentration.

"Those rich bastards, first they send mercenary groups up here to steal what little provisions we have, then they send more when we do the natural thing and try to reclaim them! An entire family was slaughtered by some Aden bastards for the sheer joy of it, can you believe that? Nothing was taken of their possessions!" Mune's lips parted and her forehead wrinkled as she raised her eyebrows. Normally she wouldn't believe the words these men said, but after witnessing first hand how cruel the people of her country were, she began to wonder. She began to tremble in rage as the men continued to describe the horrors they'd seen caused by Aden troops who were overstepping their country lines and attempting to force their law upon the people of Elmore. Hearing enough, she pushed herself onward, her fists clenched at her sides. It shamed her to be from Aden, after hearing those men talk.

As she emerged into the tavern area of the inn, Mune had to jump back as a group of Dwarven children raced by her, shouting at each other as they played. She stared at them in surprise as they tumbled over each other like playful ferrets, wondering why someone would bring such rambunctious children into a tavern. She slipped into the first chair she found, frowning as more Dwarven children joined the group, and they began to climb over each other as if they were using the other as a ladder.

"TEN MILLION ADENA, WASTED!" a drunken voice cried, startling her. She spun quickly in her chair, her jaw dropping open in surprise. Her brother Calisan, face ruddy from alcohol, sat next to her, a large mug in his hand. His head dropped heavily to the table and Mune winced, knowing that it had to hurt.

"Calisan? What are you doing here?" she asked, never expecting to find her brother so randomly, outside of the country. Calisan lifted his head and brought his face in close to hers, inspecting her with blurred vision. Mune scrunched up her face in disgust at the smell of his breath, which reeked strongly of Dwarven mead. "You reek like Grendel ass." She said, waving a hand to diffuse the stench. Calisan drew his lips into a comical 'o' shape and quite purposefully blew a breath of air up her nose. Mune gagged and turned away from him to cough.

"I could ask you the same thing." He slurred, sitting back in his chair and taking another drink. "Does Lavinia know you're out rampaging the countryside like a mad beaver?" Mune's eyebrow quirked and she stared at her brother evenly. "No matter, since you're here you can share in your big brother's misery." He lifted a hand to catch the attention of a barmaid. "Miss, a tankard for my little sister!" he called.

"He's lying, I don't want any!" she snapped over his voice, turning slightly in her chair. She swung back around with her teeth bared and glared at him as he grinned smugly into his pint.

"I'll take it if she doesn't want it!" an aged female dwarf shouted. Calisan's eyes widened as he glanced at the Dwarves, and suddenly filled with tears.

"Waah, my money!" he wailed, burying his head in the crook of his arm on the table. Mune sighed heavily and patted her brother on the back. "I hate those Pixies." He suddenly said darkly, lifting his head to glare at the Dwarven woman and the aged Dwarf man she sat with.

"What happened?" Mune asked, bored. Calisan was well-known for his business savvy, but was also horrible at accepting any other merchant competition. He sat up straight in his chair and pointed a trembling hand towards another Dwarf that stood in the corner of the inn, busy with customers that bought strange bottles of liquid from her.

"That…THING…has corrupted my business!" he said hysterically, staring at the orange-haired dwarf with an insane gleam in his eyes. Taking notice of him the Dwarf smirked and then pulled down her lower eyelid and stuck out her tongue. Calisan lowered his hand and narrowed his eyes, hugging his mug close to his body. "Curse you Spicy Pixie…curse you…" he growled. He whipped around to face Mune and gave her the most pitiful set of puppy dog eyes he could express. "Listen, listen. So I was happily selling potions, right? Great potions that I'd bought directly from the Ivory Tower's alchemists, when suddenly that little sewage rat comes in and starts selling the SAME potions, not only at a discounted price, but with an extra free gift as well! I spent ten million adena on my potions, I can't lower my price any more without loosing money!" he broke down into loud sobs that made Mune cringe in embarrassment as people turned to look at them.

"Mune, I'm going to go restock our travel packs." Evzen's voice came as he approached the table. Calisan ceased in crying in an instant, and peeked over the side of his arm. Her face red in embarrassment, Mune shifted in her seat and tried to pretend she didn't know the Dark Elf in front of her.

"Um…that's great." She said dismissively, looking away from him. Evzen frowned at her sudden cold attitude and turned away hesitantly.

"I'll see you later." He said warily, eyeballing Calisan whom was eyeballing him in return from over his arm. Mune covered her face with one hand as Calisan's head shot up like a rocket as Evzen departed, a sly smile on his face.

"So who was that? I thought you hated Dark Elves." He asked her smugly. Mune glared at him from underneath the hand that rested on her forehead.

"I do hate Dark Elves; I'm just tolerating that one right now because he's useful. Other than that he's annoying as hell with his prim and proper grammar and his over use of etiquette. You should see how he folds EVERYTHING that goes into his travel pack!" she snapped. Her hair prickled out in agitation as Calisan continued to smile smugly at her from over the rim of his mug.

"Why is it that you hate Dark Elves anyway? That guy seems like he might be nice." He said, setting his mug down.

"I told you before; one stole my first kiss without my permission. Since they all share that god-awful trait of overzealous hormones which means I still risk getting taken advantage of thus they all must die." She recited, clenching her hands on the table and seething. The amusement melted from Calisan's face and he stared at her in masked disbelief. He sighed and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest.

"That's why you hate them…? Over something as menial as a stolen kiss?" Calisan repeated in disbelief. Mune turned her head to face him again, glaring.

"I was SAVING that for someone special." She said through clenched teeth. Her annoyance gauge went up another notch as Calisan snorted.

"Oh please don't tell me it was the 'honorable' Sentinel Rayen. I swear that guy is gay with Starden." Calisan said, rolling his eyes. "But still, for a tomboy Mune, you're incredibly girly. I don't even think Cesa was that bad, and she's got that burning love for trees." When Mune didn't stop seething, Calisan sighed and reached over to grab her by her chin. Before she could react he pulled her face to his and kissed her lips. Mune's soul exploded and she jumped out of the chair, her eyes bulging out of her head with the back of her hand pressed to her mouth.

"YOU DISGUSTING FREAK! YOU"RE MY BROTHER!" she screeched at the top of her lungs. The tavern's constant buzz of conversation quieted for a moment as everyone turned to look at her. Embarrassed, Mune tittered nervously and returned to her chair. It took a moment before people realized she wasn't going to talk loudly any more before they returned to what they were doing.

"There, since I've stolen your second kiss, are you going to hate Light Elves too?" Calisan asked, grinning in satisfaction as he reclined slightly in his chair. Mune glanced up at him with a frown, scrubbing her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Why would I hate all Light Elves for something my freak brother did?" she asked, smacking her lips in disgust as she realized he'd left a mead flavor there. Calisan lifted a hand and patted her on top of her head.

"Ah, now think carefully about what you said and you will have learned something new!" Calisan said with a smile. It faded a second later as the Dwarven woman and her companion ambled over to their table, drunken blushes high on their cheeks. He froze and glared as they invited themselves to the table, sitting heavily.

"Calisan Teristen, I see my little Spicy has out smarted your business yet again." The Dwarven man, who was none other than Papa Blackstaff, said smugly. Calisan clenched his fists and glared at the older man, narrowing his eyes to intensify his anger.

"Mune, I'd like you to meet Papa Blackstaff and Mama Pixie, two of the worst Dwarves alive." Calisan seethed. Mune lifted an eyebrow as the two Dwarves laughed as if he'd said the funniest thing in the world. She yelped in anger as a spray of cold water hit the back of her head a second later and jumped up from her chair to see what had assailed her. The group of Dwarven children looked at her with large eyes before bolting into the crowd, giggling.

"Where did those monsters come from? Someone needs to sell them to a circus." She grumbled as she took her seat again.

"I know, aren't my babies beautiful?" Mama Pixie said with a proud sigh. Mune's mouth dropped open and she pointed to the children whom now raced around the bar, trying to spray each other with the weird toys they'd filled with water. Mune lifted an eyebrow and inspected the two Dwarves in front of her, then glanced at first the children and then Spicy Pixie in the corner. Each child resembled each other in facial features, but their hair was an array of colors ranging from orange to pale white-blue and purple. Mama Pixie had long, pumpkin orange colored hair that was streaked with red and white, and Papa Blackstaff's hair had turned completely white, although it looked as if it could've been black at one time.

"How did you guys get that range of color out of your genetics?" Mune asked, jerking a thumb in the direction of the Dwarven children. Two of them had climbed up on the bar and were doing a strange kind of jig, much to the dismay of the bartender. Another on the ground had grabbed a bottle of carbonated alcohol and shook it as hard as they could. The cork flew off of it as pressure built up and pinged around the room before smacking a rich looking woman in the center of her forehead as she raised a spoonful of soup to her mouth, and knocked her over, chair and all.

"Oh that's easy!" Mama Pixie said, delighted that someone finally asked such a question. "You see, Papa here is what they call a 'rainbow ore'. He's a rare catch amongst the Dwarves in terms of genetics." Her eyes gleamed mischievously and Mune began to regret asking her question.

"What's being a 'rainbow ore' have to do with your kids having more hair colors than candy?" Calisan asked with a frown, raising an eyebrow. "What is a 'rainbow ore' anyway?" he muttered into his mug. Without a word Papa Blackstaff stood up, unfastened his belt and let his trousers drop to his ankles, proudly displaying his genitalia. Mune nearly fainted and Calisan choked upon his mouthful of mead. There around his reproductive organs, quite magnificent in its own way, was a bush of hair, shaded in such a way as if a rainbow had left an imprint.

"Impressive ain't it? It's all natural too!" Papa Blackstaff said, swaying his hips back and forth. Calisan groaned in disgust and shielded his eyes from the sight as things began to sway, and Mune found that she couldn't break her eyes away from the sight, and covered her mouth with her hands.

"HEY!" the innkeeper suddenly shouted, noticing Papa Blackstaff's state of undress.

"Whoops, time to go!" Mama Pixie exclaimed, jumping out of her chair. She stuck two fingers in her mouth and whistled, her children stopping what they were doing and obediently pouring out the door. "Bye bye darling, make sure you put this stinky Elf out of business!" she called to Spicy as she and Papa Blackstaff slid out the door.

"I will mama!" Spicy promised, grinning wickedly as Calisan turned a dumbfounded glare upon her. Mune let out her shocked breath in one great whoosh before looking at her brother with a traumatized expression.

"I don't think I like your friends." She said in a tiny voice, the sight of Papa Blackstaff's swaying hips still fresh in her mind. Calisan sighed heavily and let his head drop back to the table, letting out a tiny noise of pain upon impact.

Mune emerged from the tavern a little bit later, letting her brother sleep off his budding hangover in her room. She was just beginning to wonder where it was Evzen had wandered off to, as he'd been gone far too long for a restocking trip, when she spied him up the stairs in the city's richer level.

He stood outside of the church and looked down at his feet sullenly, a distinguished looking man standing in front of him, staring down his nose. The man was surprisingly tanned for living in such a northern climate and his hair was a strange color of blonde that resembled the yolks of hard-boiled eggs. Her eyebrows twitched together slightly at the expression Evzen wore, and she jogged up the stairs towards him. Her armor clinked with her movement, announcing her approach to the men and she winced inwardly.

"Mune!" Evzen exclaimed, relief at her arrival flooding his expression. He moved to greet her, but the yolk-haired man put a hand out to halt him.

"Lord Evzen, you know this riffraff?" he asked in an oily voice. Mune's mouth dropped open, offended by his words.

"Riffraff?" she repeated, incredulous. Evzen put a hand up to halt her as her face contorted into hateful rage, ready to let a colorful set of verbal insults rip into the man.

"Krystof, this is Mune Teristen, she was the one to save me from the occultist group in Rune and has been escorting me back to Schuttgart." Evzen said smoothly. Mune shut her mouth and frowned at him. Half of what he spoke was a lie; it was the occultist group that had helped THEM because she went nuts in Rune. Krystof tilted his head in Mune's direction, gazing at her with sudden interest.

"Teristen? Are you perchance related to Ballard Felagund?" Krystof asked in a polite voice. Mune glanced between the man and Evzen with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah…he's my grandfather…" she said slowly. Krystof suddenly bowed politely to her and took her hand to kiss it. Mune jerked it out of his grip before his lips met her skin, glaring at him.

"Mune is not accustomed to our habits, Krystof." Evzen tried to say, covering up her obviously rude gesture. Krystof stood up straight and adjusted his jacket, embarrassed.

"Yes well. Since the granddaughter of Tetrarch Felagund assisted you, I suppose I will believe your story." Krystof stated, sniffing in a snobbish manner. "Now, gather your things Lord Evzen, we've delayed the ceremony long enough." Krystof turned to Mune and bowed stiffly. "Miss Teristen, it would be an honor to the Greyhelm and Dominick families if you would accompany us as well, and we shall reward you for keeping our wayward Lord safe."

Evzen grabbed Mune by the arm and dragged her away before she could protest, leading her back to the inn. He was silent as they walked, his mouth set in a thin line. Once they were back in their room he began to hurry around, repacking. Calisan was already asleep on the bed, snoring loudly in drunken unconsciousness.

"What is that all about? Why did you lie to him? I don't want to go to Schuttgart!" Mune protested, standing in the middle of the room. Although she could see her grandfather, she realized, it would be nice to check up on him. Mune hated cold and snow, a lingering effect at having her first kiss stolen at a Grand Saint's Day party, and Schuttgart was constantly covered in the stuff.

"There's nothing that can be done about it now, it was the only way I could keep you from being formally charged for kidnapping me." Evzen said in a low voice as he shoved his clothes into his travel pack. Mune's mouth dropped open in disbelief and she clenched her fists.

"KIDNAPPING you?" she said, louder than intended. Calisan's snore broke with a snort, and she and Evzen stared at him until he smacked his lips and began snoring again. "I didn't kidnap you! In fact I saved your ass from those Elves out there!" she hissed, gesturing in the direction she thought the Silenos Outpost was.

"Actually it was over there." Evzen corrected politely, pointing in the proper direction of the Outpost. "But that doesn't matter," he said dismissively before she could voice any angry retorts, "I'm afraid the Dominick family only sees that I was missing the night before my wedding and are prone to assume the absolute worst of any situation." He sighed heavily and sat down in the chair still positioned by the bed. Mune blinked rapidly as his words clicked in her head and she frowned.

"Wedding?" she echoed, as if she'd never heard the word before. "You're engaged?" A stab of pain went through her heart and she rubbed her chest absent-mindedly to ease it. Evzen sighed and stood again, and began to pack her belongings.

"Yes, I'm engaged to be married to the daughter of the current Lord of Schuttgart castle. She's the Gatekeeper of our city, a very elegant girl named Bilia." Evzen said in a tired voice. "The marriage was arranged as a last-ditch chance to reclaim some part of Schuttgart's throne. My parents were once the Lords over the land you see, back when it was honor and valor that made you a Lord, not physical prowess and war. The current Lord seiged our castle when I was fourteen and we lost it. My father was much too old to form a clan to reclaim it in the same way, so they struck up a deal in the only way they knew how; by marrying one of their children off to the castle Lord's daughter. Bilia was the one who got to choose which one of us that she wanted, and unfortunately she picked me." He handed over her travel pack with his eyes downcast. Mune took it automatically, trying to take in everything he said and figure out why her heart suddenly ached so. "I won't make you come with me, but if you do, it'll give me a few more days of freedom, and perhaps I can convince Bilia in that time to take my younger brother as her husband. He's had a crush on her for a few years now, but for some reason she refuses to look at him. I suppose it's because he's an Orc, but one could not say for certain." He gave her a half smile, and Mune averted her eyes as the pain in her chest increased.

"I'll go with you." She said sullenly, staring at the ground. "It'll be nice to see my grandfather again at least." She frowned as her heart skipped a beat as Evzen's face lit up in a relieved smile.

"Thank you." He said, shouldering his travel pack. "Shall we be off?" he offered his arm as he spoke in a truly gentlemanly fashion. Mune hesitated, still embarrassed when someone treated her as anything more than a tomboy, but then slipped her arm through it. He beamed warmly at her and escorted her out of the inn and towards the Gatekeeper, where Krystof waited to take them to Schuttgart.


	22. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

_In which Mune has issues in Schuttgart and a challenge is issued._

Amari sat Indian-style on the bed in the room he shared with Vlad, with his elbows resting on his knees and his fingers steepled together upside-down to create a cup with them. He had his eyes shut and concentrated on his breathing, meditating before his scouting shift began. This was his ritual every time he went into a fighting situation; having a clear mind always made it easier for him to cast magic. Dark Elven magic was heavier in element than the Light Elf magic, and always took longer to cast, so every advantage he could give himself would make the difference of life and death. In and out went his breath, holding it in after an intake every so often to increase the size of his lungs.

_"Come on sleepy, I know you're awake…"_

Amari's eyes snapped open as a lance of pain went through his heart. He froze as the memory of Ilyra smiling roguishly at him came back to haunt him as clearly as if she were there. Ilyra was an Abyss Walker he would've likened to devote his life to, a woman he spent years trying to save after she was lost inside one of the ancient Necropolises north of Aden. He'd managed to save her after training with the Dark Mother Lilith herself, but Ilyra was taken away from him again by her father. Ilyra was in the Abyss now, serving Shilen there. He wore a piece of her heart around his neck at all times, the organ crystallized by Shilen, a gift to him for his years of loyalty and love for the woman.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to return his heartbeat to its meditative state. It irritated him that his concentration would slip the instant he relaxed, it was unlike him. He began to breathe evenly again, letting the thoughtless peace he sought fall over him.

The door to his room opened quietly and then shut. Amari's hearing picked up the sounds of someone stepping lightly across the floor, but he ignored it, thinking it was Vlad tip-toeing as to not disturb him. The person came to stop at the end of the bed he sat on, in front of him. He sensed the body shift to kneel in front of him, and felt a gentle weight press down on the bed on either side of his legs. Frowning, he opened one eye a crack, wondering why Vlad was kneeling in front of him. Both eyes opened wide in surprise as Vuylay knelt in front of him staring at him in a look one could only assume was desire. A gasp caught in his throat as she suddenly rose up and kissed him.

She pushed him back as she climbed onto the bed, and hovered over his body. Amari attempted to break out of the kiss to ask her why she was there, but she only pressed her lips harder against him. His eyes widened as she pushed up the skirt of his robes and straddled his body. The kiss was finally broken in a gasp as she partially pushed down his pants and lowered herself onto the exposed flesh.

Amari jerked awake with a gasp, his eyes wide and staring. He panted lightly as his heart raced, knowing in an instant that he'd just had an embarrassingly erotic dream about an old friend, and was disturbed by how real it felt. He was still in his pose of meditation, and shifted to stretch muscles that had gone stiff from sitting still for so long. Sighing heavily he stood and walked over to the washbasin on a table against the wall.

He cupped his hands and filled them with the cold water of the basin to splash on his face. He shivered as the shock of the water helped clear his mind, bringing him fully into reality and out of the remnants of the strange dream he'd had. He placed his hands on either side of the basin and leaned upon them heavily; watching droplets of water as they dripped off of his face and back into the bowl.

He lifted his head to look at his reflection in the mirror, trying to convince his brain that he honestly had no attraction to Vuylay; it was a product of an overly exhausted mind. Ryonai had been ignorant in politics for much of the paperwork the chamberlain had piled upon him, and Ryonai had pulled Amari in for help. Amari's assistance turned into a job as Ryonai would find a way to escape, leaving Amari with stacks of forms as high as the ceiling. He hadn't rested well he decided, between the siege, the paperwork and now the scouting trips around Aden Territory. It had to be nothing more than a product of that.

Black, wispy smoke took form behind him, and a pair of white-blue skinned arms slipped around his chest from behind. The heart-shaped face of Shilen followed, her snake-like eyes staring at his reflection ahead of her as she rested her chin upon his shoulder. He knew it was his reflection that she embraced, but he could feel the press of her body as if she were really there.

"Greetings my goddess." Amari said respectfully, glancing down in reverence. Shilen chuckled and removed one arm from around his chest to push a lock of his hair behind his ear.

"You did not enjoy the dream gift I gave you then, I take it?" she purred, stroking the hair at his temple. Amari's eyebrows drew together slightly in confusion. Shilen had given him such a dream? But why?

"Vuylay is a friend; I could not let such a mirage continue." Amari said seriously, frowning. Shilen clucked her tongue in a disappointed sound and pouted prettily.

"That's disappointing…maybe if that face has pink hair, then perhaps it'll be easier for you to continue?" she asked, her voice low and sultry. Amari drew away from the mirror slightly with her suggestion, startled by it. Out of habit he turned to ask her what she meant, forgetting that she was not really there. When he returned his gaze to the mirror, her image there was gone as well.

"Ah man, life is a cruel bitch!" Montavious exclaimed after draining his mug of beer. He sat within a tavern in Aden, enjoying happy hour. The people who sat at the bar with him were strangers, but once the buzz of alcohol kicked in, he could've cared less.

"Tell me about it, forced into working this damn scouting job just because you have a clan connected to the political system. You should at least get a say in it." The man next to him muttered, rolling his untouched bottle of mead with one finger on the mouth. "But no, it's 'get out here or go to jail bitch'!" he sighed deeply and slumped in his chair. Montavious made a noise of sympathy and patted his new drinking buddy roughly on the back.

"Ah, I know what ya mean, man. Nobody appreciates a man for what he is and lets him live as he pleases. Take me for example, some bastard lopped my hand off here to where I can't ever hope to lift a sword properly again. So I do the only thing left and spy on the clan the bastard's a part of right? And what does the clan I work for do? Takes your information and leaves you with nothing! Not a damn thing!" he smacked the bar top with his hand to accentuate his words. He snatched the fresh mug of beer as the bartender presented it to him and gulped it down eagerly. "I could care less about the fate of that Haibane clan or who owns Innadril, I just want the bastard that stole my woman and my hand from me to die!" he said violently, slamming his mug down. The bottle of his drinking buddy toppled over, rolling across the bar top and spilling untouched beer everywhere. "Aw man, that's a waste!" Montavious said sadly, and then pounded on the bar top again. "Bartender, another beer for my friend!"

An hour later Montavious stumbled out of the tavern, laughing raucously at something only he knew. He had one arm around the neck of his new friend, and used him to help stand upright again. "Ah man, the night is so young! Let's go to the south side of the city, they have the pleasure houses there!" Montavious suggested joyfully. "Although nobody will be as tender and beautiful as my soft Sharmin…" he sighed deeply in fond memory and patted his friend on the shoulder. "But that's neither here nor there, lead the way my silent friend for I cannot see clear enough to piss straight!" he laughed again with this and stumbled as his friend began walking.

Montavious' laughter faded after a while; when the first bite of chilly air hit his face. He sniffed loudly and squinted through blurry eyes, trying to identify where they were. He blinked and released his friend to stumble away a bit, finding himself in a fog-covered forest.

"This isn't the pleasure district! You took a wrong turn my friend!" Montavious said, laughing again. "Let's go back and I'll see if I can…" his voice cut off at the feel of a knife going into his side and he looked down at the blade in shock. His 'friend' released the hilt as Montavious stepped away, gaping as blood seeped out around it. "Why?" he wheezed, his face contorting into sorrow.

"Because only I can make Sharmin cry." Ryonai said darkly, glaring at Montavious in a truly sinister expression. He unsheathed the sword that hung at his side and held it out, its point facing Montavious. The larger man now blubbered, remembering Ryonai from long ago on Talking Island. "And thanks for telling me about spying on my clan; I had wondered why a rash of mercenaries loyal to the previous lords of Innadril had suddenly turned up in Heine. Now I can plug up the leak." Montavious stumbled to his bottom and held up a hand as Ryonai advanced upon him.

A Silenos chief, his tribe camped out in the Plains of Glory, lifted his head as the sound of a scream of agony broke the still night air. It cut off abruptly, and his horse-like ears angled this way and that as he tried to pick up any other sound. Not hearing anything more, he returned to sharpening his axe, not interested in the politics of humans.

It was mid-morning when Koyori and Shana blinked into the Dwarven Village. Koyori lifted a hand to shield her eyes against the glare of sunlight on snow, shivering in the sudden temperature change from the summery Gludio to there. Shana looked around the village in obvious relief at being somewhere familiar again. She now wore a child-sized set of Brigandine armor, but didn't seem to be phased by the chill on her bare arms and legs.

"SHANA!" a voice squealed, and a pink blur suddenly leapt from seemingly out of no where and latched on. Koyori shivered inside as she recognized Ichigo, who clung to Shana in glee. "What are you doing back here? Mama said you were staying with Raccoon-Lady for awhile!" she asked as she pulled out of the hug.

"I came back to…" Shana began, but was interrupted as the rest of the Pixie children came pouring out of their house and piled on top of Shana. The girl buckled under the weight and Koyori covered her face as Shana was lost in a sea of small bodies. She blinked in surprise as a young elf boy trailed behind them and then leapt with all of his might, adding himself to the pile.

"Waverly, don't do that! You might make someone suffocate!" Cesa scolded, rushing out of the Pixie house to extract her son. Like magic the bodies of Dwarven children seemed to absorb him and he was lost beneath them with a squeal of horror. "Waverly!" Cesa exclaimed, reaching for his tiny hand as he waved it, searching for something to grab to pull himself free. "Oh hello Koyori." Cesa said in surprise, tugging on Waverly's hand, noticing the Prophet for the first time. She looked down as Waverly continued to sink farther into the pile of Dwarven children, shocked as she too began to get sucked in.

"What are you doing here? Wasn't everyone summoned to Aden?" Koyori asked, frowning.

"We could ask you the same thing." Lavinia answered smoothly, exiting the house now. Cesa yelped as her face began to disappear into the pile of bodies and Lavinia sighed heavily. "Honestly Cesa, do you have to encourage their behavior?" she asked bitterly. She stuck two fingers into her mouth and whistled loudly, the joyful shouts of the Dwarven children shutting off as if someone had flipped a switch. They extracted themselves from the pile and went racing back into the Pixie house, the door slamming shut behind them. Cesa and Waverly sat on the snow, looking bewildered and bedraggled, and Shana laid on her back, her eyes spinning from all of the weight that had been on her. "Wow, I didn't know that would actually work." Lavinia said while looking at her fingers, impressed. Oon popped out of his hiding spot in her hair and let out a chirping noise similar in tone to her whistle, and climbed onto her shoulder. "I'm sorry Oon, I wasn't calling you." She chuckled, rubbing his head. The Drabbit purred and leaned into her hand with his eyes shut, happy with the attention.

"I was wondering when you two would show up." Mama Pixie's voice came as Koyori helped Shana to her feet. Shana broke away from Koyori and dashed to her mother, latching onto her in a clinging hug. "Silly girl, it's only been a few days." Mama Pixie chided with a gentle laugh.

"She's spending my money on frivolous things." Shana tattled, glaring over her mother's shoulder at Koyori. Koyori froze in disbelief that Shana would tattle, and then stuck her tongue out in a nasty expression.

"Oh she is, is she?" Mama said, giving Koyori an authoritive look. "Well don't stand outside in the cold, let's all come in and discuss proper monetary spending, shall we?" she turned and waddled back inside, and it occurred to Koyori by watching the Dwarf walk from a distance, that she was pregnant.

"Oooh, you're in trouble." Ichigo said in a singsong voice as Koyori trailed behind Lavinia and Cesa. She shot a glare down at the Dwarven girl and tapped the overhang of the house as she passed under it. A mound of snow dislodged and fell onto Ichigo, burying her underneath it comically. Smirking, Koyori entered the low-roofed house, satisfied with herself.

Only one city away from the Dwarven Village, Mune wandered around Schuttgart alone and in a daze. The instant they had arrived, Evzen had been whisked away by a group of officials from the castle. He'd stuttered incomprehensibly as they pushed him away, not expecting them to be there waiting for him. Krystof had brought Mune to the Lord of the Castle after that, and after being thanked politely, was given a guest room for her stay. By Elmore etiquette Mune was supposed to stay in her guest room until three days after Evzen's wedding. It not only proved that she was loyal to the Lord of the land, but thankful for his hospitality and generosity at being allowed to attend such high-class events. Mune hated it already, and the wedding hadn't even started.

Finding that there was little to entertain her in the castle (for she'd been shooed from the armory for being too eager to be in it); Mune had wandered back to the city. Schuttgart was quiet as far as cities went, very few merchants passing through. She understood now why most merchants from Schuttgart traveled as far as Giran to sell their wares, there just was no market there.

Schuttgart was like Goddard with how the rich and noble lived in an upper level while the poverty-stricken lived in a lower level around it. It began to occur to her that the city was built that way on purpose. If some attacking force decided to lay waste to the city, the poor would be taken out first, then the rich, and finally the church. It was corrupt, using the weak as a shield, and it made her sick to think about it.

She hadn't seen her grandfather at all since arriving two days prior, as she'd not been allowed entry into the church. There was apparently some sort of cleansing ritual going on with the priestesses of the church and Evzen's bride-to-be, and no one but Bilia's family was allowed entry.

That was another thing that had begun to irk Mune in the short time she'd been within Schuttgart. Everywhere she went, everyone just talked about this Bilia. If it wasn't about how wonderful she was it was how pretty her face was, or how elegant she talked and walked. It made Mune hate the girl more and more to hear about how likeable and kind she was. To top off her irritation, she couldn't understand why she was so dazed and depressed all of a sudden; it was like Evzen had walked off with her grip on reality when he was whisked away to the castle.

"I'm going to wring his neck." She said in a growling voice, startling a dwarf passing by. A sinister laugh left her throat with the thought of grabbing Evzen by the neck and shaking him as hard as she could, and the dwarf scooted away from her with a disturbed look. She marched through the city with this dark grin, earning looks of worry from those she passed.

Within the church, quite oblivious to the fact that most of his family was within such a close proximity of him, Ballard knelt before his tiny altar to Eva. His eyes moved this way and that behind closed lids as he was granted another vision. Behind him, his Priest friend watched with a worried expression; the air around Ballard was somber and cold. There were very few times when the air felt as such while Ballard was in a trance, and it never boded well.

Sighing heavily, Ballard stood, his vision passing, and began to gather up his altar. He stored it away and then turned to look at his friend, giving him a weak smile. The Priest opened his mouth and Ballard shook his head before any sound emerged. The Priest's face fell and he looked down, too saddened suddenly to look at Ballard any longer.

"Bilia's ritual is finished, you men can return to the cathedral now." A Priestess said, poking her head into the back room Ballard and his friend were ushered into. Bilia's ritual was in fact an extensive gynecological examination, but for posterity's sake it was said to be a ritual as to not embarrass the girl.

Ballard re-entered the cathedral with his friend just as they re-opened the front doors. Parishioners began to file in, eager to begin praying for their selfish wants, some grumbling with how long Bilia's ritual took. Bilia still stood within the cathedral still and talked with the head priestess, most likely asking her questions about what to expect on her wedding night, Ballard figured.

He perked up as Mune wandered in with the group of parishioners, looking distracted. She walked without really focusing on her surroundings, an expression Ballard was not used to seeing on her face. He was shocked to see her with shorter hair, and wondered what had happened to make her cut it.

"Mune!" he exclaimed happily, strolling over to his granddaughter with arms outstretched. Mune blinked rapidly and glanced around the cathedral as if she hadn't realized she'd walked in. Ballard embraced her happily as she continued to glance around, confused. "This is such a pleasant surprise, what are you doing all the way up here?" he asked, rubbing her back.

"I kind of got dragged here…" Mune said, finally remembering to hug her grandfather back. "Some idiot got me caught up in his personal affairs and now I can't leave until after he gets married otherwise it'll be bad etiquette." Ballard pulled away from her and looked at her face in surprise.

"You were brought here by Evzen Greyhelm?" he asked, impressed that Mune would willingly follow a Dark Elf after her declaration of adamant hatred of the race. Mune shifted and averted her eyes, Ballard's expression embarrassing her.

"He kind of helped me out a few times, so I owed him." Mune said slowly, hoping he hadn't heard about a Light Elf going berserk in Rune. She didn't doubt that he'd be sympathetic towards her anger at discovering the healthy Mother Tree, but she knew she'd never hear the end of it if he found out Evzen's family had been disowned by Rune's church in the process. Her eye twitched slightly as she realized she still hadn't met any of Evzen's family and she wondered if they'd already heard and was angry with her. "Who's this Bilia that everyone keeps talking about him marrying anyway? She sounds irritating." Mune found herself asking loudly. Ballard opened his mouth, surprised again by the jealousy tingeing her voice. He doubted she even realized it was there.

"I'm Bilia." Bilia answered, hearing her clearly. Mune whipped around to face her as she approached, Bilia's eyelids lowered into an unamused glare. Mune's eyes traveled up and down Bilia's body quickly, inspecting and analyzing her as she walked. She had shoulder length, thick oak-brown hair that flipped over one side of her perfectly oval face. Her chin was pointed, and her nose a perfect ski-jump shape. Her eyes were large and colored chocolate brown and more elf-like than hers, even though Bilia was very plainly human. She was daintier than Mune in body size and shape but taller than her. Overall Bilia was so gorgeous and willowy that Mune appeared to be short, plain and dumpy in her presence.

She paused in front of Mune and inspected her in turn, smirking as her eyes returned to stare into hers. "So you're the one that Evzen tried to elope with." Bilia said nastily. Mune's budding scowl dropped into a look of disbelief and her mouth fell open.

"That was a rumor Miss Dominick, my granddaughter merely acted as his bodyguard after meeting with him in Rune." Ballard said quickly, stepping in front of Mune lest her temper explode. He turned slightly and leaned in close to speak in her ear. "It'd do you good to stay clear of anyone from either noble family for awhile. Go find something to amuse yourself with for now, I'll come find you in a bit and we'll talk about how you can formally apologize to Rune's head priest for your display." He murmured sternly. Mune shut her mouth quickly and glanced at her grandfather with large eyes. So he knew after all. Ballard raised his eyebrows and nodded lightly towards the door, her signal to leave while he spoke with Bilia. Grumbling to herself, Mune shot Bilia a look that said very clearly for her to piss off, making the Gatekeeper gasp in shock. "Mune!" Ballard exclaimed as Mune grinned smugly and strutted out of the church. No noble bitch was going to get the best of her, not even one who's family she was at the mercy of.

That evening in Aden, Narlafayn searched worriedly for what felt like the 100th time in the city's residential district. Terebel had failed to return with his scouting party several days prior, and no one seemed to know where he'd gone. There were a few people whom had said they had seen him pay the Gatekeeper for a spell, but it was very unlike him to leave without saying anything. Even if it was something urgent that had to be kept secret, he'd normally leave a note saying he would be gone a few days, but this time there was nothing. Narlafayn had gone from feeling irritated to rejected to now just downright worried.

Spying Emixia waiting outside of the inn for Vlad, Narlafayn's face brightened and she approached the half-Orc. "Have you…?"

"No." Emixia answered her before she could get the question out. Narlafayn's friendly smile dropped into a look of surprise. Emixia raised her head to glance at Narlafayn through the top of her eyes without expression. "You've asked me that question nearly two hundred times in the past three days. I have not seen Terebel Baas, nor do I know where he might have gone." She recited. Narlafayn pursed her lips as Emixia lowered her head back down to stare at her foot as she tapped her heel into the stone below her feet. Emixia was always the enigma, these days it seemed she were just as normal as everyone else when Vlad wasn't within earshot. It was as if her earlier claim of giving in to the Orc side had failed and she had instead done the opposite, but was afraid to show it to Vlad. Sighing in frustration Narlafayn turned away from Emixia and set off to circle the city yet again.

Near the outer wall on the east side of the residential district, the spinning crystal known as a Broadcast Tower suddenly flickered with light. Narlafayn paused mid-step as she passed it, and glanced at it curiously. Usually it just spun peacefully until there was a siege or tournament, and then it would magically project images from either event into the minds of those who gathered around it. It was a safe way for spectators to watch competitive battles without being in the fray. For the Tower to flicker with light was odd, it was not a natural behavior. She jumped back as an image projected from it to the sky for everyone to see.

Within the warrior's guild, Leon, Gatz and Ryonai stopped mid-conversation in their strategy planning with Cedric, as the tiny private Tower there also flickered with a projected image. All over the country, the Broadcast Towers flickered to life, causing those who passed by to stop and look. As the image cleared, the grinning face of Frintezza smiled out in maniacal greeting to everyone.

"People of Elmore and of course Aden," Frintezza began elegantly. He obviously sat on a throne, and faintly the sounds of someone protesting could be heard. "I greet you King of Aden and Lords of the land, I am Frintezza, King of Elmore and crown prince of Elmoreden." He lifted a hand to his chest to bow slightly in respect, although it felt more like a mockery.

"Give me a break, Elmoreden is history, who is this clown?" someone shouted as Amari returned to the city from his scouting rounds. His brow furrowed and his lips parted slightly as he glanced up at Frintezza's smiling face. He, like many others, had been under the belief that Frintezza was dead; it was shocking to see him alive and well now.

"People of Elmore, hear the humble voice of your king." Frintezza began again, this time addressing his own people. "Too long have we suffered under the harsh thumb of Aden. They come to our country and steal our provisions, rape our lands and people, take valuable assets that could be transformed into medicines for our ill… Too long have we suffered under this mockery of a treaty that has allowed Aden to run wild and live as they please while our men, women and children die of starvation and illness because of lack of work or market. Aden forces us to pay as we pass through the gates to their lands, but then we must pay to leave? We must take our wares down to their lands to sell? Our farmers must turn the earth down in their lands to grow their food, of which the Lords of their lands take the best of to fill their fat bellies with? This is an outrage!" Frintezza slammed his fist down on the arm of his throne, making many jump, startled by the sudden movement.

"Someone deactivate that Tower!" someone shouted from the center of Aden.

"He's feeding their fear…" Cedric breathed; shocked that Frintezza was making such a bold statement. Gatz, Leon and Ryonai watched, stunned speechless by what they were hearing.

Up in Schuttgart, Mune stared bug-eyed at the crystal, a cold feeling spreading through her limbs. Ballard watched Frintezza's display without expression from the church doorway, his jaw set. It was hard to say what the aging Elf was feeling at that moment, or if this display was something he had been merely waiting for to happen.

Sharmin watched the image projected from the tower from within a room at the inn, hugging herself as a chill spread through her as well. She didn't know who the man was that was speaking, but she didn't like the sound of what he was saying.

"What's going on?" Ferrol's voice came, slurring and raspy from sleep and medicine. Sharmin glanced at where he laid in the bed, and gave him a wan smile before moving over to offer him a drink of water. Her magic had been enough to keep him alive until Komugi had been summoned to tend to his wounds, but Prophet magic wasn't enough to completely heal him, and no Bishop in Aden was willing to treat him. He still had many days of bed rest ahead until he would be back on his feet again.

"Keep talking you fruity bag of fruit." Vlad growled from below Sharmin's window, glaring up at Frintezza's image. Growing up in Rune gave him a clearer understanding of how corrupt Frintezza really was, and it angered him to see the mad king try and ignite tempers this way now. The state Elmore was in was mostly due to Frintezza's own negligence, not because of any oppression from Aden, although that might've helped factor it too.

"Oppressed people of Elmore…" Frintezza continued, holding his hand out as if in a gesture of goodwill, "Let us throw down the chains of bondage that Aden has locked us in. Let us once again unite that fertile country that was once ours, and recover the golden era of Elmoreden!" The sinister smile returned to his face as people all across Aden began to protest.

_Want._ The guttural voice spoke within Narlafayn's head once again, and she clapped her hands over her ears, fear surging through her with the sound. _Want…_ it repeated more insistently, and she whimpered in fear. For once the voice didn't say what it wanted, but she had a feeling it was something the Mad King displayed above her could give.

"People of Aden," Frintezza said now, leaning back in his chair with a haughty expression, "Those who treat my honored father Baium as a spectacle in his humiliation…I declare war upon you. I declare a war in the likes of which no one has ever seen, until the lot of you who cut and bleed my father like an animal for slaughtering realize the foolishness of your ways." The protesting rose, this time accompanied by voices of fear. One right of passage that many Warrior Guilds had adopted to test the skill of warriors seeking to advance their knowledge was to climb the Tower of Insolence, inflict a cut upon Baium, and soak a piece of fabric with it as proof. It was reminiscent of boys daring each other to run into the Ruins of Agony and bringing out a piece of it as proof that they were brave enough to go in. It had become such a standard thing to do that it came as a surprise for people to remember that Baium was really a human cursed by the gods and had feelings too, somewhere underneath the raging anger.

Mune jumped as shouts of approval sounded across the city of Schuttgart, those moved by his speech responding to it with enthusiasm. She ducked down as far as she could in her armor, afraid that they'd be able to tell she was from Aden and try to lynch her in their sudden anti-Aden enthusiasm.

"Someone contact the king!" Cedric shouted out the door of the briefing room. Gatz and Leon still stared at the broadcast tower in shock, but Ryonai had his head resting heavily in his hand, a sudden headache flaring through his temples.

"Those of you in Aden who are oppressed, my country opens its arms to you…join us, and we will help you end your oppression…" Frintezza's voice was cut off finally as the mages at the Ivory Tower finally regained control over their devices. The shouts of rage were fierce across Aden, and Ryonai winced at the chaos that Heine must be in after a speech such as that. He would certainly get an earful for his absence from the chamberlain later, but there was nothing to be done at this time.

Within Ferrol's room, Sharmin stood after tucking her father in. He'd fallen asleep again, the medicine which Sharmin had given him keeping him drowsy. There was the sound of crackling fire and Sharmin spun quickly, one hand drawn to her chest. Behind her, nearly filling the room with his presence, stood the bronze-skinned Paagrio, decked out in heavy bone armor.

"Your skills will be needed soon." He said, meeting her eyes. Sharmin's lips parted as he disappeared in a burst of flame, and she sunk down to sit on the edge of Ferrol's bed. She'd never seen the fire god outside of the strange dream she'd had back in Gludio, and it shocked her.

Still standing dumbfounded in the archway to the city, Amari felt his heart racing in panic. He'd been to a war between Aden and Elmore before, but on Elmore's side. He began walking slowly towards the inn, Aden alive with shouts of fright and protest to Frintezza's message. Despite all that had been said however, Amari's mind still reeled from his earlier encounter with Shilen; what did his goddess want from him?  
>Narlafayn was still crouched to the ground, trembling in fear with her hands pressed firmly over her ears. The voice had not spoken any more after the first two times, but she could still feel it's reverberation through her body. Opening her eyes once she was sure the voice was gone, she stood slowly. She gazed at the crystal which had returned to its former state, as if Frintezza's message had never been projected through it. She was afraid of what was to come; she knew it would be something more than a war. It would be something that would change the very world itself.<p> 


	23. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

_In which there are unhappy Dwarves, and Mune gets wet_

A party of two Dwarves, two humans and four elves plodded cheerfully through the Plunderous Plains, chatting amongst themselves. These were quite possibly the only people not to know about Frintezza's declaration of war, one would think when looking at them. Ichigo and her younger, purple-haired sister Nanaka skipped ahead of the party with Shana, pausing every now and again to toss snowballs at one another. Shana giggled and laughed to Koyori's relief, and showed no signs of the area causing her any emotional pain.

"And here I hoped I was done with winter." Cesa said, her teeth chattering. Celleriant had his arm around Cesa protectively, but he too shivered from cold. Waverly seemed oblivious despite the fact that the snow was deep enough to engulf his small body up to his waist at times.

"Why are you guys coming along anyway? This isn't some picnic to be bringing Waverly to." Lavinia asked with a frown. "We got lucky last night and made it to that old railroad station at nightfall so we stayed warm, but you shouldn't make Waverly camp outdoors. He'll get sick."

"Oh we don't plan on sticking with you guys, we're just traveling as far as Schuttgart. Grandpa hasn't met Waverly yet, and I want to introduce him." Cesa said brightly. In front of them Waverly yelped as he stepped into a deep snow drift. His small body was engulfed up to the little puff ball on the top of his hat, and Koyori snorted as she tried not to laugh. "Oh no!" Cesa exclaimed as she and Celleriant dashed to the snow drift to dig their son out. His voice was muffled as he screamed, and Koyori finally laughed aloud at how ridiculous they looked. She glanced at Lavinia who sighed and shook her head, then shifted her gaze to the tiny rabbit creature on her shoulder. They'd had a campfire thanks to the fire the tiny creature belched up, but Koyori had never seen a creature such as it before.

"What is that, a retarded Elpy?" Koyori asked, pointing to the Drabbit. To her surprise as it seemed he understood her, Oon lifted his head and narrowed his little gray eyes in a menacing glare. Lavinia reached up and covered his head with her hand, sensing the temper rising in his tiny body. Oon began to let out strange squeaking noises and struggle, trying to pry his head loose from Lavinia's hand.

"Oon is a new breed of Elpy." Lavinia lied, not wishing to take the time and explain Oon's origin to someone she barely knew. "He's quite temperamental though, so I wouldn't point fingers at him." Oon finally put his two front paws on the side of her hand and pulled his head free with effort. He growled and glared at Lavinia, who narrowed her eyes at him in return. Koyori rolled her finger back into her fist and looked away, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

After crossing a long bridge over choppy, nearly ice-covered water, Cesa, Celleriant and Waverly bid farewell to the search party and began trekking towards Schuttgart. The city was in sight, and they could make the rest of their journey alone.

The party turned south as the Elven family traveled north, the Dwarves in the party leading the way towards the old giant artifacts known as Pavel Ruins. Pavel was a giant that had once been studying the effects of weather, trying to create a land of eternal spring so the harsh lands of Elmore would be fertile and farmable. He'd succeeded in turning the lands now known as the Frozen Labyrinth into a valley of spring, but that had been ruined when Princess Melissa became the Ice Queen Freya. There was speculation that Melissa had become Freya because of her mother, the Elven Queen's murder, but after talking with some of the dwarves in the Dwarven Village, Lavinia had begun to wonder if the former Elf had been in love with Pavel the Giant instead. Her transformation to the Ice Queen matched the time of Pavel's death more than the Elven Queen's demise.

"Hey!" Ichigo exclaimed, pointing to a figure that crouched at the center of the bridge they were to cross into Pavel's territory. The party halted in surprise as a pink-haired dwarf with bangs obscuring their eyes and two buns on either side of their head met their vision. The dwarf crouched down to the bridge, tinkering with something at her feet. (Although it was hard to discern the gender truthfully, it was assumed to be a girl by the color of the hair)

"Plenty!" Nanaka squealed in her breathy voice. Koyori saw Shana's face brighten with relief along with her Dwarven siblings' faces. The banged Dwarf on the bridge raised her head; her mouth drooping slightly as her squealing sisters came stampeding towards her. Abandoning her invention, Plenty of Midget stood up and bolted towards the Ruins without a word. Shana, Ichigo and Nanaka slid to a stop, surprised by Plenty of Midget's reaction. They looked between themselves, each sharing the same confused expression.

"HEY!" Koyori shouted as the girls took off in hot pursuit of their sister. "Dammit, night's falling soon!" she cursed as she and Lavinia took up a pace after them. She had hoped that they would just rent a room in Schuttgart for the night and resume their search in the morning, but now it looked as if they were going to be wandering in the cold for hours.

As they ran into the area of the Pavel Ruins, the snow faded to brown, hilly earth. There were huge excavation holes where the Iron Wheel guild had been digging up artifacts and technology from Pavel's era. These holes were abandoned now, and strange golems outfitted with an array of menacing weapons rolled around them, distinct orders from their creator to kill anyone who tried to disturb him.

A pair of Dwarves stood up in surprise as Plenty of Midget raced past their small encampment of tents, never expecting to see a Dwarven child race through the Ruins. "Hey!" a dwarf known as Gutenhagen shouted as the party raced past next. "Don't go over there, that's Dr. Chaos' lab!" he cried, waddling after them as fast as he could. Koyori and Lavinia stopped running immediately to look at Gutenhagen with large eyes. Finding that the girls were still going, Lavinia quickly cast her weakest wind spell, making sure she made the spinning ball of wind in front of her wide enough to hit all three. She let it fly with an elegant wave of her hand, the ball sailing across the space between them and hitting the girls hard enough to lay them flat on their faces with yelps of surprise.

"You're going to be quite the mother one day." Koyori said, impressed. Lavinia polished her nails in satisfaction and flashed Koyori a victory sign. On her shoulder Koyori swore she saw the tiny creature there blush fiercely somewhere underneath his dark brown fur.

"So those kids are your siblings, eh?" Gutenhagen said later, as the group joined him and his business partner Yumi around the fire. Each of them had been given a tin cup full of coffee, but only the Dwarven girls and Shana drank it. "Poor kids, you're going to have a heckuva hard time getting them away from that old fart Chaos." He shook his head in sympathy as he raised his own cup of coffee to his lips.

"Why?" Koyori asked with a frown. She never liked being told no, even in a roundabout way; it always made her want what she was being kept from getting, more.

"Dr. Chaos seems to have taken those three under his wing for the moment, and seems rather fond of them." Yumi answered, patting her orange-blonde hair and putting her cap back on. "He's somewhat of a lolicon, you see, and so dearly enjoys the company of little girls." The cup of coffee slid from Shana's hands and spilled on the hard-packed frozen ground, her eyes wide with fear. "Oh don't worry; he's not THAT much of a pervert despite being a mad scientist." Yumi said quickly, waving her hand. "He enjoys them like I suppose you humans enjoy pets. It's the same kind of fondness."

"So you're saying we can't get the kids away from him because they're his pets now?" Lavinia concluded, noticing the distress in Shana's expression. "Won't they just want to come home willingly? I mean we brought their family out looking for them…"

"Plenty and Midget won't want to come home if Dr. Chaos is teaching them all about inventions, it's their weakness." Ichigo spoke up, always eager to impress Lavinia in some way. "But I don't know why Spore won't come home…he's always been more of the Warehouse frieghtman type, not a golem-maker…" she tapped her chin thoughtfully as she pondered this. Spore had always been the logical, somber one of the family. Somewhere in his fourteen years on the planet he'd taken it upon himself to be the human-like, mature brain in the house. It was a transformation that was sudden, and one that no one could figure out.

"In any case, we should turn in for the night. It's dark and cold and I really don't want to be wandering around this place when it's so full of golems." Koyori stated, setting down her untouched cup of coffee to stand. She stretched her arms above her head, smirking inwardly as Gutenhagen gawked at her chest. Yumi scowled and smacked him on the back of the head, noticing a small bit of drool collecting at the corner of his mouth.

"Um yes…it is late." Gutenhagen responded, wiping at his face. "We have plenty of empty tents here, feel free to use them." He motioned to the tarps behind him with a wave of his hand. "There are spare blankets and pillows even, so you'll be plenty warm tonight."

"We'll wake you up come first light of dawn." Yumi said flatly, glaring at Koyori. It was obvious that she wanted Koyori away from Gutenhagen as quickly as possible.

"Thank you. Goodnight." Koyori said with a sly smile. She held the tent flap open as the rest of her party entered and smiled flirtily at Gutenhagen. Satisfied once Yumi began to hiss at him angrily, she entered after the party, feeling quite accomplished for the night.

Within Schuttgart Castle, Mune, dressed in a short, dark purple nightshirt, walked aimlessly through the darkened hallways. It was late, but she'd found herself unable to sleep and had begun walking the halls hoping it would wind down her nerves.

The entire city had been in a frenzy of anti-Aden excitement, guards and young people old enough to venture out into the world preparing to travel to Goddard for the war. The Gatekeepers had apparently received an order to stop accepting travelers from Aden now. There were whispers that many people had been lost inside of the dimensional pathway between areas, trapped with no way out. Many merchants whom had not seen Frintezza's broadcast or heard the declaration of war were thrown into jail or executed on the spot. The entire continent was in a state of chaos, and the anxiety of war only added to Mune's current discomfort.

She paused at a forked hallway and finally glanced around her surroundings. Every hallway in the castle was decorated the same, making it hard for Mune to remember which direction she'd come from. Spying a familiar vase of flowers on a decorative table against the wall to her right, she turned in that direction and began hunting for her room. With the identical construction of each hall, she'd taken to counting doors to locate hers. Finding the fifth one on the left, she entered and marched directly to the bed, where she flopped onto it heavily.

Several things occurred to her as she lay with her face pressed against the bedspread, the first of which was that the bed below her was made. She'd left hers a rumpled mess. Pushing herself up to lean on her elbows, she glanced around the room next. It was larger than her room, richly decorated, and fully stocked with what looked like fruits and wines, several days worth. One simple oil lamp burned on a table next to the bed, the scent of the oil Mune instantly identified as an aphrodisiac used during the Light Elves consummation ceremony. Dread settled inside of her chest as she realized she'd gone into the wrong room, and this one was obviously prepared for someone.

Her heart nearly stopped as she heard the doorknob being turned to the room, and she looked over her shoulder at it with large eyes. Propelled by fear, she stumbled over the bed, fell to the floor, then pushed herself up and dashed through a door located near the bed. Shutting it quietly, she turned around and breathed a sigh of relief, thinking she'd dashed into a closet. Her muscles froze as she realized she'd shut herself in a dimly lit indoor bathroom, a large porcelain tub set underneath large, cathedral like windows across from her. It was full of rose-colored water which smelled of flowers.

"Here we are Lord Evzen, the Honeymoon suite." Krystof announced, opening the door wide to allow Evzen to enter. Mune's breath caught in her throat as Evzen stood in the center of the room and glanced around it with weary eyes. She ducked away from the crack she'd made in the bathroom door as Krystof approached it, and looked around the bathroom wildly for a hiding spot.

"Must I come here already?" Evzen asked, his voice very plainly tired. He'd been in nothing but political meetings all day since Frintezza's declaration of war, and spending the night in the Honeymoon suite was the last thing he wanted. The wedding wasn't until the next morning, but by Elmorean custom, he was supposed to welcome his new bride to his bed, and had to be comfortable with his surroundings.

"Your bath is already waiting for you, sir." Krystof said professionally, ignoring Evzen's question. He opened the door to the bathroom, and finding no place to hide; Mune plastered herself against the wall and held her breath. It was dark enough in the room that Krystof didn't even glance at her. "You will be married first thing in the morning sir, so it would be wise for you to take your bath and retire as quickly as possible." He turned away from the bathroom to fetch Evzen and escort him in, giving Mune another chance at hiding. At the end of the tub, in the wall, she spied a set of doors. Dashing over to them with a surge of hope, she climbed over the tub and flung one open, her hope fading a bit as she realized it was full of towels. Thinking quickly she grabbed a large fluffy towel and flung it over the side of the tub for Evzen to use, then squeezed into the cabinet.

Her breathing was loud in her ears as she tried to hold the door shut, her body almost too big to fit into the tiny closet. She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry, as Evzen entered the bathroom dutifully. Her eyes widened as Krystof began to undress Evzen in the center of the room, draping his clothes neatly across his arm. Mune's heart began to thud in a strange way as Evzen turned towards her and stepped into the tub. She shook her head, trying to clear the strange haze that suddenly descended her mind, and gasped softly as she nearly lost her grip on the door and tumbled into the water.

"Hm… I see Una left towels out again." Krystof said distastefully as he spied the towel on the side of the tub. "I shall leave you for the night then sir. See you in the morning." Krystof said, bowing stiffly as Evzen settled himself.

"No, don't leave him for the night, get him bathed and into bed!" Mune whispered, wincing as her arm began to shake from the strain of holding the cabinet door shut. She scrunched her eyes closed as she tried to concentrate, dreading the way Evzen appeared to be expecting a long, comfortable bath by how he relaxed.

Shana and Ichigo stirred as a strange whirring noise penetrated the darkness of sleep. Both of the girls were surprisingly light sleepers everywhere but on the community mattress they shared back at the Pixie household, and even a whisper of air would disturb them. Ichigo let out a fussing noise and rolled over; trying to return to slumber, but Shana lifted her head, her eyes large. After everything that had happened to her she trained herself to wake up fully if something disturbed you, otherwise unpleasant things could happen.

The sides of the tent flapped with wind as she pushed herself to her feet. As she cautiously emerged from the tent, she saw that the sky rumbled with thunder and lightning, and specks of snow blew with the wind. Such strange winter squalls were unique to Elmore, and always turned violent.

Her eyes searched the land as she hugged herself, her jaw trembling as her teeth chattered with cold. Her mouth dropped open as she caught a glimpse of a gigantic golem, not quite as big as a siege golem, marching down a hill.

"Onward ho!" a red-haired Dwarf she recognized to be her sister Midget of Plenty exclaimed. She stood ahead of the golem, and it occurred to Shana that she was directing it.

"Guys! They're out there!" Shana exclaimed, dashing back into the tent and shaking everyone. Ichigo was on her feet in a second, her star-topped blunt in her hand.

"In the name of Blacksmith Pushkin!" she announced sleepily, not quite awake.

"What are you talking about?" Koyori slurred, rolling onto her back and stretching.

"Get UP! I saw Midget of Plenty out there directing a golem! They're going to get away!" she snapped, yanking the blankets off of Koyori and Lavinia.

The girls emerged from the tent a few minutes later, trying to assemble their armor as quickly as possible. Gutenhagen and Yumi stood outside of their tent in their nightclothes, Yumi shielding a candle from the gust of wind as they stared into the darkness.

"I didn't think Dr. Chaos brought that golem out for anything but when people bothered him." Gutenhagen commented, shielding his eyes from the wind. "He's never decided to go for a walk before, especially during a squall." Thanking them quickly for their hospitality, the girls dashed off after the slow-marching golem, Shana in the lead.

"Uh oh!" Plenty of Midget exclaimed from the shoulder of the golem. She sat on it backwards, her feet dangling over the back of the wooden creation, and spied the group of girls as they dashed towards them.

"Stop! What are you guys doing?" Shana and Ichigo shouted, waving their arms as they approached. Midget of Plenty paused mid-shout and then waved happily back at her sisters.

"We're going to smashy smash the bad people!" Midget exclaimed. Plenty nodded her head in agreement, a grin identical to her sister's on her face.

"Bad people?" Shana echoed, her brow furrowing.

"No, it's time to come home, Mama's worried about you!" Ichigo said firmly, stamping her foot on the ground. Nanaka nodded in agreement, staring at the golem with large eyes.

"No, I won't go home! Unkie Chaos is teaching us lots of neato things!" Plenty said stubbornly, folding her arms across her chest.

"Yeah, I made a golem THIS big!" Midget exclaimed proudly, demonstrating the height of the golem with her hands. Sadly, it was only about the size of a small dog.

"I won't go back." A boy's voice came next. The golem began to step back and forth as it turned around to face them. Sitting inside of a carved out cockpit was a teen Dwarf with grass-green hair. Most dwarves began to grow facial hair and a protective layer of fat around ten years of age, but this Dwarf was surprisingly fit, good-looking and clean-shaven.

"Spore!" Nanaka exclaimed, surprised to see her big brother inside of the legendary golem of Dr. Chaos.

"Well you won't have much say in staying, sport. We were sent out here to bring you back, so we will. Don't make Lavinia use force, cuz she's scary." Koyori said, annoyed with her sleep being interrupted by stubborn Dwarven children. Lavinia huffed and glared at Koyori in annoyance, disliking how she had just volunteered her to be the bad guy.

"I won't go back!" Spore shouted, the force of his yell causing the golem to shake. Plenty of Midget fell off of it, and rolled to her feet. Shana's lips parted as she stared at him, his face contorted into an expression of hurt. "I won't go back until I kill every one of those bastards in Schuttgart! I have to!" with that he spun the golem around quickly and took off at a run, the golem surprisingly nimble for its size. The Midget twins protested as he dashed away without them, upset that their game was done.

"After him!" Shana shouted over the increasing wind, breaking into a run. Koyori lingered behind to grab each of the Midget's arms in turn, slapping a set of handcuffs on each and handcuffing them to her wrist. They both began to protest and tug, trying to slip free.

"Your mama told me to put these on you guys and not hesitate to use sleep magic if you tried to pull any shenanigans to escape them." Koyori warned coldly. The Midget twins froze, their mouths dropping open, and then took up a shuffling, sullen pace next to her. Koyori didn't know what kind of power their mama had, but she always seemed to be able to control her children with a simple word. Even the threat that Koyori had just obviously made up seemed to work. The handcuffs were from Mama Pixie however, and seemed to be a well-used item to keep the Midget twins under control.

Within the church at that time, Ballard knelt respectfully below the statue of Einhasad. He was bare to his waist, displaying a strange, faded, runic tattoo on his back. His Priest friend circled around him, eyes glued to an ornate magic circle drawn around Ballard's feet. Everything had to be perfect before this ritual could start, even one tiny slip-up could cause the world to be thrown off balance. The tattoo on Ballard's back was the Seal of Gnosis, and this ritual would restore the seal back to full power, thus making Ballard's tattoo darker.

"Everything ready? We haven't much time." Ballard stated, his head bowed and eyes shut. The ritual was painful, and he had to keep his mind devoid of all thoughts. He and his friend were the only two in the church, everyone else had been given honorary rooms in the castle for the wedding the next day.

The sound of the wind howling was the only noise in the cathedral as the Priest approached a brazier full of red coals. From within it he pulled a metal brush, glowing from heat. The priest would re-trace the lines of Ballard's tattoo with the brush, burning the symbol into his skin with the heat of it. Staring at the sharp bristles evenly, the priest carried the brush back over to where Ballard crouched.

"Accedo caerimonia." The Priest said with his hand extended, his voice echoing through the church. The magic circle flared to life, light and wind shooting up from its runes and surrounding Ballard within a barrier. The priest took a breath to steady his hand and then thrust the brush through the barrier of light. Ballard, deep in meditation, merely jumped slightly at the first shock of the hot metal on his skin, but did not flinch. Light poured out of the windows of the church, but no one saw it, everyone tucked away in their houses to sleep through the winter squall and dream of the fight to come.

Still within the towel cabinet, Mune winced and whispered through the words of different sword songs, trying to distract her from the pain of holding the door shut. Her arm trembled with exertion and her face beaded with sweat. She paused in her reciting to take a breath and launch a couple of colorful insults at Evzen, who appeared to have fallen asleep in the tub. Her eyes popped open and she gasped as she lost her grip on the door for a second, and quickly pulled it shut again. It tapped against the frame louder than she would've liked, and Evzen's head rose quickly from where he had relaxed it against the back of the tub. He frowned as the cabinet door opened a few inches and tapped shut several times in a row, and sat up.

Mune hissed through clenched teeth as she began to loose her balance, the stack of towels beneath her finally slipping with her movement. With a whimper from her throat, her hand, sweaty from nervousness, finally slipped from the tiny nail she'd been using to hold the door shut. The door fell open and she tumbled with a stack of towels. Evzen let out a yelp of surprise as she crashed onto him, the water from the tub splashing out and soaking the marble floor.

She was frozen in shock once the water settled, finding herself sprawled over Evzen and her face pressed to his bare chest. He smelled of the flowery bathwater, and his skin was enticingly cool. A blush permanently staining her cheeks red, she slowly glanced up to his face, finding him wincing as he rubbed where the back of his head had connected with the side of the tub. The pair stared at each other for a moment, Mune's heart thudding in that strange way again, before they remembered that Evzen was naked, and jumped apart as quickly as they could.

Outside of Schuttgart, a dark shadow wearing a travelers cloak darted along the path, holding their hood low over their face to keep the icy wind from biting it. The sudden halt on Gatekeeper activity had left this unfortunate traveler stranded somewhere near the Archaic Laboratory, and they'd been running all day to get to Schuttgart. Now they were caught within the midst of a winter squall, and they weren't happy about it.

The traveler paused to pant and lift their hood up enough to estimate the distance left to the city. Walking against the wind was more tiring than the day-long dash they'd made through the Pavel Ruins. They blinked and squinted as their ears suddenly picked up the faint sound of mechanical whirring over the howl of wind. Feeling that he was not alone, the traveler slowly turned and made a noise of surprise as he found Spore, still in Dr. Chaos' golem, charging straight for him. He stumbled backwards, his foot catching on the edge of his cloak and causing him to fall onto his bottom. The hood fell away revealing the face of our traveler, Terebel, who drew one of his swords as he tried to scoot out of the path of the Golem.

An almost insane gleam in his eye, Spore lifted one of the golem's arms as he approached Terebel, not bothering to think if this were one of the 'bad people' he sought to destroy. Thinking instantly that the impact was going to hurt, Terebel could only wince and hold up his sword as feeble defense, wishing at that moment that he'd kept his shield from his Palus Knight days.

"SPORE, STOP!" Shana screamed. The dark grin on Spore's face faltered, and the Golem's arm remained raised. Not wanting to stick around, Terebel pushed himself to his feet and bolted for the city, happy to be away from the obviously crazy Dwarf.

Shana dashed around the golem and held her arms out, trying to prevent Spore from advancing. She stared at him with determination, daring him to hit her with the golem arm. Spore began to fumble with the controls, trying to remember which one would turn the golem around. He cried out in frustration as all of his training left in an instant, and he smashed his hands on the panel. A trapdoor opened up underneath him, and he dropped out of the golem, landing hard on his bottom.

"Why can't I save you for once?" Spore suddenly cried, tears streaming down his face. Shana's lips parted in surprise and she took a step towards him. Spore curled into himself and began to cry, loud, mournful sobs. "I saw those men take you and I couldn't do anything, just stand there! I'm just a stupid weak Dwarf!" he wept, rocking as he tried to hide his face in his arms. Shana dropped to her knees beside him and slowly circled her arms around his shoulders. He latched onto her waist in an instant, burying his head against her stomach. She laid her cheek upon the top of his head and rocked him like she remembered seeing Mama Pixie do, patting his back as she let him cry.

"Well that excitement amounted to nothing." Koyori said, almost disappointed. On either side of her, the handcuffed Midget twins began to giggle. "What's so funny?" she asked, looking down at them suspiciously.

"Mama might have to unadopt Shana even with her staying with you." Midget of Plenty said, pointing at Shana and Spore with her free hand. Koyori frowned, and glanced up at the pair.

"What are you talking about? Mama Pixie said the reason she'd unadopt Shana was a dire situation, those two are getting along fine." Koyori stated, putting her hands on her hips. The Midget twins responded by giggling louder.

"Exactly." Midget of Plenty said. Koyori's mouth dropped open in an 'o' shape as it finally hit her that the reason Mama Pixie would unadopt is because they _were _getting along well. Too well, by the looks of how snuggly they were at that moment. Shaking her head at the possibility of it all Koyori began to slowly approach the pair, eager to retrieve Spore and get out of the storm.


	24. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

_The Seal of Gnosis is broken_

"If the officials find you in here…aagh, my family is done for!" Evzen lamented, pacing around the suite. Mune sat on the bed with a towel wrapped tightly around her shoulders. Evzen had put a robe on and now walked back and forth in front of her, going on about how the pre-wedding customs had been defiled by her being in the room.

"Will you shut up about your stupid customs? I came in here accidentally, alright?" she snapped, glaring at the decorative rug Evzen paced upon. She hugged the towel around her shoulders tighter and shifted as Evzen paused to look at her. He sighed and began to pace again as a sheet of lightning lit the window. Mune was growing increasingly irritated; the strange thudding in her heart had not ceased since falling into the tub, and now it was accompanied by a strange pressurized feeling in her belly, a feeling that was almost similar to what she experienced as she neared her menstrual time.

"Mune, I believe you." Evzen finally said with a sigh, sitting down next to her. She shifted away from him a bit, an electrified jolt going through her body as his bare thigh brushed hers. "But I'm afraid the officials won't. Your room is very clearly in the east wing, this is the west." He shook his head and dipped his head slightly to try and get her to look him in the eye. "Couldn't you tell where you were?" Mune shifted again and purposefully glanced away from him, the fingers of one hand appearing as she tugged the towel closer yet and then disappearing beneath the white fluffy weave.

"I wasn't paying attention." She said sullenly, staring at her knees. Her toes curled where they dangled in the air, the bed too high for her to place her feet on the ground. Evzen blinked and tilted his head at her curiously, finally noticing the strange air around her.

"That's very unlike you." He commented. He realized that she looked pale, and he began to worry for her health. Perhaps the climate of Schuttgart was too harsh for her and she'd contracted some sort of virus.

"It's all your fault!" she suddenly exclaimed violently, looking at him. He drew his head back slightly at the frustrated pain in her eyes, his heart thudding hard. Tears welled up in her eyes and she sniffled loudly, trying to prevent them from spilling. "Ever since you took off to go marry that stuck up bitch, I haven't been able to concentrate on ANYTHING. I want my life back!" she cried, failing in holding the tears. Evzen drew close to her as they dripped down her face, and put a hand on her cheek. She drew in a gasp of surprise through her nose as he pressed his lips against hers, kissing her gently. It was an incredibly bold move on his part, and some part of him feared violent retaliation from Mune, but what she had just said had touched his heart so warmly, he had to kiss her. He too, had been unable to concentrate since being separated from Mune's presence, and it didn't occur to him until now as to what it was.

Mune drew away from him in surprise, staring at him with large eyes. Evzen drew back in a hurry, afraid she was going to smack him. Instead Mune lifted a hand to touch her lips in wonder. "I'm sorry, that was very rude of me." Evzen apologized hastily, fearing that her expression was the prelude to a raging fury.

"My first real kiss…" she whispered, as if narrating the moment. It was Evzen's turn to gasp in surprise as Mune dropped the towel from her shoulders and launched herself at him, crushing her lips against his to continue what he'd started. He fell backwards onto the bed, blowing the flame out in the oil lamp with the breeze that escaped the mattress as he landed on it.

Within the church, the torches on the walls of the cathedral suddenly flickered as a gust of wind blew. The seal nearly reset, the priest paused in painting to glance behind himself in surprise. The doors had been locked; no one should've been able to get in.

A long, thin needle, no wider than a hair, suddenly shot across the room and through the priest's eye. He let out a gurgling cry as the needle exited through the back of his head, piercing a vein somewhere inside. The vein exploded, and the priest dropped to the floor. The magic circle faded now that the one to activate its power was dead, and Ballard stood quickly.

Tossing her cloak to the floor as she approached in a nearly sultry manner, Shizuka fluffed her hair, her leaf green eyes focused on Ballard's strange light purple ones. His eyes were a symbol of his true nature; anyone whom had been infused with anything of the gods had purple eyes. This was a well-guarded secret to everyone, and the concealing lie was simply strange genetics.

"I've been waiting for you." Ballard said calmly, retrieving his robes from the ground. He said a silent prayer for the soul of his friend and touched his body before standing to his full height and slipping his robe back on.

"Really now? That's quite disappointing, I was hoping for a surprise." Shizuka said casually. Her footsteps echoed loudly off of the ceiling as she approached, but Ballard stood calmly, not intimidated. "Mother warned me about you, she said that Eva had once likened to take you as a lover because of your singing voice, and had gifted you with foresight." She continued, stepping over the body of the Priest. "You must know what I'm here for then."

"Yes, and I know what will happen if you get it." Ballard replied, shifting his feet slightly. Shizuka pushed out her lips in a pout for a moment before leaping into the air and firing a swirl of dark energy at him. Prepared, Ballard jumped out of the way to the wall, where two swords hung on display. He spun around to face her after grabbing them, crossing them in front of his body to dispel yet another blast of dark magic. He went into a ready stance as a long iron pole appeared in her hand, which she twirled elegantly around her body, its head coming to stop in a crack of the stone floor behind her feet.

"Don't make this difficult, you've been alive a long time. It'd be a shame for that life to end this way." Shizuka said in a scathing tone, pushing out her lips in a mocking pout once again. They stared at each other from opposite sides of the cathedral, the sword that the statue of Einhasad held downwards pointing to the spot that they would meet. A flash of lightning illuminated the high windows of the church, but it wasn't until the accompanying peal of thunder rumbled the walls that they dashed for one another.

Far south of the current battle, Narlafayn marched towards the border gate with the rest of Haibane and several other clans. She winced as she walked and pressed a hand to her temple. She'd been having trouble seeing since Frintezza's announcement, and tonight it had become worse. Speckles of darkness akin to unconsciousness danced across her eyes, and she would rub them vigorously in hopes to dispel it. No such luck however, and her eyes now burned from it.

She was wearing a brand new set of Avadon armor, her Dwarven Chain too badly damaged from the attack in Giran to ever hope being repaired. It was a pure and beautiful white, with silver-purple elfish designs covering it. The skirt of the armor was blessedly long, and had a pair of short shorts underneath; giving her the most modesty she'd ever had with armor. Two wings were welded to the back, much like with Mune's Zubei armor, only Narlafayn's wings were silver-purple, like the designs.

The King of Aden had given the order earlier that afternoon for the first wave of troops to march to the Border Outpost north of the Ivory Tower, and the Border Gates north of Aden that night. He had hoped it would give them the advantage of the element of surprise, doubting greatly that Elmore had prepared their forces yet. The King of Aden's hope was that he would intimidate Frintezza and the rest of Elmore with the size of his armies, and end the war before anything had even happened. Vlad had been the loudest voice of protest when Ryonai told the clan of their orders, knowing that Frintezza didn't care about his people or the size of Aden's army, the war would continue until he was satisfied.

"Hey, does the sky look weird to you?" Komugi asked Zaken, glancing up. Zaken raised his head and squinted, catching glimpses of the night sky through the thick clouds gathering overhead. He frowned as the sky almost appeared to be blood red. The moon itself had a strange shadow over it and didn't seem to shine as brightly as usual.

"Bad omen." He murmured, putting his arm around Komugi and hugging her protectively close. Being from Gracia originally he cared less about this fight between Elmore and Aden, but he went along anyway because Komugi was being forced to go.

Narlafayn glanced up as well only to find that shifting her eyes caused a shadow of blackness to descend over them. She winced and ducked her head down again, covering her eyes with her hand. Walking near her, Leon watched Narlafayn with concern, having taken notice of her strange behavior from the moment they'd left Aden.

Terebel had just slipped into the city when the electrical feeling he'd experienced after being caught with Kartia suddenly coursed over him again. He fell to his knees with a gasp, shocked breathless by the feel of it. His arms shook as he tried to support his weight, trying to fight off the unconsciousness that his body wished to succumb to. It was like being struck by lightning he figured, although no stray bolt had hit him. He raised his head quickly as a strange sensation tugged at him, urging him to go to the church. Pushing himself to his feet again, he stumbled once, then regained his balance and dashed for the church doors.

Inside, Ballard sliced at Shizuka with first one sword and then the other, in a style reminiscent of a Bladedancer's swordplay. She merely smirked and deflected his blows with her staff, sparks flying as metal met metal. Getting annoyed finally, Shizuka's face contorted into hateful rage and she slid her staff away from his swords and slammed the head of it has hard as she could into his stomach. Ballard slid away from the force of it, shoving the tip of one blade into the ground to support himself as he coughed from the impact. He gagged and heaved, a stomach full amount of blood surging up from his throat and onto the floor. Shizuka began to glow with an unearthly light, her eyes lost in the intensity of it. Her hair came loose of the binding at the ends and waved around her like seaweed as she held her hands in a triangle shape in front of her. An orb of black light began to form between her palms, increasing in size quickly.

"I will not let you have his destiny!" Ballard shouted, pulling his sword from the ground with effort and wobbling as he took up his stance again. She narrowed her eyes into thin lines and smirked darkly, pushing the orb away from her body by extending her arms.

Terebel entered the church just as the orb blasted through Ballard's stomach, leaving a perfect, seared hole. There was no blood, the heat from the orb cauterizing the wound immediately. His mouth opened in horror as Ballard exhaled once, his weak breath strangely loud in the silence of the church, and dropped to his knees. Terebel dashed to his side, to catch him before he fell completely.

Outside, the wind howled with the winter storm, the party finally returning to Schuttgart. Oon, being held protectively against Lavinia's chest, suddenly began to struggle, trying to get free of her arms. Lavinia dropped him as his tiny claws gashed her skin, sucking in a breath of pain. As he dropped he returned to his original form, shocking everyone in the party.

"Hurry, the Dusk is coming." He said urgently before returning to the Drabbit form and dashing for the city. Her heart suddenly thudding in dread, Lavinia raced after him, the rest of the group looking at one another in confusion before doing the same.

Terebel held Ballard to his chest, too shocked to speak. Ballard looked at him with difficulty, and took one of Terebel's hands in his own. There was a strange surge of heat that passed between them, and Terebel winced at it.

"It's in your hands now…son" Ballard rasped, smiling at him weakly as the light from his eyes faded. Terebel's lower lip trembled with shock as Ballard's hand dropped to the ground, and he panted in disbelief. He hadn't come all of this way just to hold his father as he died…no…this wasn't right! This wasn't right at all!

"GAHH!" refusing to let himself cry he screamed out his grief, throwing his head back like a wolf howling at the moon. The party outside of Schuttgart paused as his voice echoed through the blowing wind, which sounded more like a monster's mournful roar than a scream. A pillar of swirling light burst from the roof of the church, so bright that even the party outside had to shield their eyes from it.

Within Schuttgart castle, Mune broke from the long kiss she was sharing with Evzen to wince as the light flooded even their room. She pushed herself from the bed and stumbled over to the window, her heart leaping into her throat as she realized the pillar came from the church.

"Grandpa!" she breathed, dashing from the room without a word. Evzen stared at her departing figure in confusion, not sure what was happening, and too scared to find out.

In Aden, the wind picked up suddenly, blowing dust on the army as they marched and causing them to double over to block it from their faces. Narlafayn's body went rigid and her eyes became black in an instant, responding to the strange burst of power from Schuttgart's church.

"Look at the moon!" someone cried in fear as the wind diminished. Everyone raised their heads up as the clouds suddenly parted to display the moon above them. There were several gasps of horror and fright, some people falling to their knees to pray. There, shining in a blood red light, was the moon, only an eye had opened up upon its surface. The eye was red and smoldering with fire, filling the world with a crimson light.

Mune dashed into the church, still in her nightshirt, and gasped as she found Terebel cradling her grandfather's body. The pillar of light emanated from him, and had turned red, surrounding him in ethereal fire. Her mouth dropped open with a gasp as she saw Ballard wasn't moving, her hands trembling as she noticed the blood on Terebel's armor.

"What did you do to him?" she cried, realizing Ballard was dead. She snatched the swords that Ballard had used from the ground, energy from when the pillar exploded from Terebel's body pushing them towards the door. She ran at him with an anguished shout as he stood with his head bowed. His thrust his empty hands out in front of him as she swung her swords, and she winced as they connected with metal. The light faded from around him as the ethereal flames climbed his arms and swirled around his hands, materializing dual blades that had never been seen before on this earth. They were the Akamanah, twin swords created from the powers of Shilen and Gran Kain, and they had been waiting for this moment.

Terebel's head snapped up and he grinned darkly at Mune as the earth around them shook, red static electricity flashing from his eyes and traveling down his face. Her eyes widened with his look and she leapt backwards, putting her sword down to slow her as she slid across the ground. She looked up just as Terebel leapt at her, spinning gracefully in the air before descending upon her, the whites of his eyes turning black around his green iris.

"Oon!" Lavinia cried above the raging wind and snow. The tiny Drabbit scampered across the square of the city and ran towards the church, where the door was still partially open. She paused to pant, leaning her hands on her knees, her hair whipping about her face violently.

"Lavinia, these kids can barely move in this wind, we can't follow!" Koyori shouted, hanging on to the side of the archway above the stairs leading to the rich district. Behind her Shana and the Dwarves were huddled together, hugging one another. She'd turned over wrangling the Midget twins to Shana, who seemed to be able to get them to stay put without much effort. Lavinia nodded in understanding and then pushed after Oon.

Inside the church, Mune grunted in exertion as Terebel attacked her, barely deflecting the attacks from his swords with her own. He laughed manically as he cut at her, the sword sparking red each time it met hers. This was the second time she'd faced a strange sword of demonic origin, only the wielder of this one was a seasoned fighter, not a little girl. Mune rolled away as Terebel backed her into a corner, the blades of his swords pinging off the stone.

Growling loudly, Terebel propelled himself at her by kicking off the wall with one foot, trying to cleave her legs. She jumped into the air quickly, placing one foot on the larger of the dual swords and flipped over his head. She gasped and her eyes widened as she saw him spin quicker than humanly possible, cutting at her head as she landed. She let her knees buckle quickly; falling painfully to the ground as the swords went over her head, then rolled herself to her feet again. She winced as a stab of pain went through her right knee, notifying her that she'd done something that she'd regret later.

"Narla…" Leon said as Narlafayn began to walk away from the group in a trance. "Narla!" he exclaimed louder, reaching for her. They had just reached the fortress where they would camp; waiting for the attack from Elmore, but Narlafayn continued walking towards the Border Gates, risking getting them seen by scouts.

"I want him." Narlafayn said in a voice darker than her own. "I must become with him." Leon was propelled backwards through the air as he put a hand on her shoulder, energy bursting from her as she glanced at him. He cried out in pain and gripped his hand as he landed, a scorching burn reddening his skin where he had touched her. Narlafayn regarded Leon with still black eyes before returning to her trek towards the Border Gates. A fist connected with her stomach, shocking her eyes back to their normal color with the impact. She slumped over the arm the hand was connected to in a daze, and Ryonai steadied her with his other hand before she fell to the ground.

"Put her in a room and guard it." He said in a low voice to Zaren, who took Narlafayn from him. He didn't know what was happening, but after seeing Narlafayn propel a Paladin across a field just by looking at him, he suddenly wondered if there was something mysteriously connecting her to the moon's current state.

Terebel was once again driving Mune across the church, his blades too fast for her to do anything but defend. He'd cut through one of the decorative swords, and now she held the other one with two hands as his strength only seemed to increase. She gasped and turned as one blade came dangerously close to her head, a cut opening on her cheek from the near hit. Caught off guard, Mune stumbled, and her eyes widened as Terebel laughed triumphantly, finding an opening and taking it.

There was a bestial roar from behind Terebel, and suddenly two bronze arms wrapped around his thin waist and lifted him into the air. His own eyes widened in surprise as he was thrown across the church, rolling to his feet as he hit the floor. Oonugh panted as he crouched, waiting for Terebel to fly at him. Staying in his true form was taxing; he didn't even have time to tell the Elf slumped against the base of Einhasad's statue to run. As predicted, Terebel's berserked gaze shifted to the Orc, and he flew at him.

"Oonugh!" Lavinia screamed as the tips of Terebel's swords lanced through Oonugh's hands and disappeared into the Orc's body. He cried out as Terebel ripped the blades from his skin, and returned to the Drabbit form as he fell to the ground. Once again trapped in the tiny body, he lay on his side and twitched, looking helplessly as Terebel shook the blood from the blades and turned towards Lavinia.

Realizing she was next, Lavinia waved her hands and began to cast magic as quickly as she could. Terebel walked through each water spell she launched at him, the dark grin growing on his face as he advanced. She backed up and raised her arms with a gasp as he stepped through her aura spell, one blade raised as if to lop off her head.

A blade suddenly shot over Lavinia's shoulder and lanced Terebel through the chest. He drew in a ragged breath in shock, stumbling backwards and looking down at the sword in his chest in disbelief. Calisan entered the church, a cold glare on his face as he watched Terebel stumble around, wanting to remove the sword but not wanting to release one of his new blades to do so.

"I'd like you to know that I never liked, nor accepted you as a part of my family." Calisan said coldly. Three Cubics hovered over his shoulders, the gold colored one trembling as it cast magic. A healing light surrounded Oon, knitting together his injuries. Tiring of watching Terebel gasp, Calisan darted forward and ripped the blade from his Uncle's chest, causing the Dark Elf to cry out in pain. Calisan stared at him without expression as Terebel bared his teeth in a growl. Terebel flew at Calisan as he had Mune, swinging his swords as he neared. Calisan parried both swords with his one, the effort not even moving his body. Terebel flew past him and stumbled, knocked off balance by Calisan's defense. He gasped as a gash opened up on his chest, blood flooding out in a spray. He fell to his knees with one hand pressed to the wound. Calisan was quite possibly more of a fighting genius than Ryonai, having long ago reached the honored title of Eva's Templar. He'd given up the sword simply out of boredom, preferring instead the competitive life of the market. Terebel glared at him over his shoulder before pushing himself to his feet and propelling himself out the doors and into the stormy night.

Standing in the sill of one of the high windows, Shizuka watched as the Teristen family began to mourn the death of their Grandfather. She smirked coldly, pleased by their grief. Everything had gone according to Shilen's design, and now she would return to Aden and wait for the plan to officially go into motion.


	25. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

_The Chain of Fate that binds them_

The dawn broke across Schuttgart territory, bathing the land in pure, unobstructed light. The birds chirped merrily from the tops of pine trees, singing their joy over the passing of the storm. It was a morning most people woke to with a cheerful countenance, but today the clear sky was looked at as a mockery of the mood spreading across Schuttgart.

The city had risen to the mournful sounds of the grieving Teristen family, which only escalated as Cesa entered the church that morning to finally introduce her Grandfather to her son. Her grief was shared amongst the parishioners of the church, as Ballard had been a kind face that many of them looked up to as a friend.

Evzen's wedding was canceled that day despite Bilia's protesting, and instead the city observed a day of silence. The throne room of the castle that was supposed to be celebrating a joyous union was instead turned into a funeral service, Ballard and his Priest friend lying within glass coffins as the people of Schuttgart passed by to pay their final respects.

Lavinia had left Schuttgart as quickly as she could, desperate to return to Aden and report to her clan all that had happened. Terebel could not be trusted now, and she had a bad feeling that he was on his way back to Aden.

Calisan promised her that he would take care of Ballard's funeral and cremation, and personally see to it that his ashes were committed into the waters of the Elven Forest, like their grandmother and parents had been before him. He had come to Schuttgart in hopes of selling his potions there since Spicy Pixie had taken over Goddard's market, and had entered the city moments before he put a stop to the fight.

Cesa stood near Ballard's coffin, holding a handkerchief to her nose as tears poured from her bleary red eyes. Waverly looked up at her in confusion as she cried, not understanding why the sleeping man made her so sad. Celleriant had his arm around her and rubbed her shoulder, trying to be of some comfort. Ballard had been his friend too, although for a much shorter time. Mune stood in the shadows away from her sister and brother-in-law, her expression vacant and without emotion.

Evzen watched her from afar, standing with his family as they talked amongst each other in low voices. He wanted to go to her and comfort her as Celleriant was comforting Cesa, but he knew he could not while under the watchful eyes of the community. Swallowing hard, he mustered up his courage and left the throne room after speaking softly to his Dwarven father. His father gasped and watched him go, his mouth opening and closing in shock at what Evzen had said to him, never expecting to hear what Evzen had uttered. He smiled proudly as Evzen disappeared down the hall outside of the throne room, and then glanced to Mune, knowing in his gut that she had something to do with his words.

"The gods must hate me!" Bilia cried, stamping her feet in a temper tantrum. "I have to hold off this wedding AGAIN? Who cares about some cooked Elf!" she threw herself into her chair with a huff, folding her arms across her chest. She and her father were in her bedroom, not wishing to be amongst the mourning masses in the throne room.

"Behave yourself Bilia, Ballard was a central figure in the church and you know it." The Lord of Schuttgart, Esham, said sternly. He was a large, surly man with a full head of golden hair and a thick beard to match. He was intimidating to behold, and commanded everyone in his land with merely a look. Bilia glared towards her window and kicked the cushioned foot stool by her feet, causing the small dog that slept upon it to yipe as it toppled over. The dog stumbled to its feet and scampered under her bed to hide.

"I don't know why, he was just some worthless proletariat from Aden." She grumbled. Esham sighed heavily and wandered over to the window, where he leaned his elbow against the sill heavily as he gazed out.

Standing outside of the door, hearing everything that Bilia had said, Evzen took a breath and adjusted his suit coat before rapping lightly on the doorframe. "Come in." Bilia's pouting voice came. Her face brightened up as Evzen entered, and she stood. "Evzen, what a pleasant surprise!" she said politely, her sweet air returning. The good-girl show was something she'd learned to show those who were not her family, as she knew it reflected well upon her and her father to hide any traces of her negative side.

"Bilia, Lord Esham." Evzen greeted them politely, not taking the hands that Bilia extended to him. She let them drop with a frown, noticing the way he fiddled with his coat lapels nervously. Hearing the nervous tremble in his voice, Esham turned from the window, instantly sensing something was amiss with his future son-in-law.

"What is it Evzen?" Esham asked, ambling towards Bilia while watching Evzen suspiciously. Evzen swallowed nervously and looked down as he tried to compose his nerves.

"I wish to call off this wedding." He said after taking a moment to gather his courage. Bilia gasped in horror and then began to protest in a whining voice to her father, who also began to speak angrily at the same time. Evzen shut his eyes to not see the menacing look on Esham's face, lest his courage break.

"You can't do this, I won't allow you to!" Esham said furiously, covering Bilia's mouth with his large hand. "You look at me boy! Do you want your family to end up homeless in the streets? It's by my will alone that I even allowed you to remain in the city!"

"Then we'll move somewhere else, no problem." The voice of Evzen's father, Tacitus came, preceding him as he waddled into the room. "The Greyhelm family merely stayed in this city because it was too much hassle to move a family full of youngsters. Now that most of them are grown however, we could've packed up and left at any time." Esham began to sputter incomprehensibly, stunned that Tacitus was assisting Evzen in so easily evading his threats.

"Father…you mean that?" Evzen asked; hope tightening his throat to the point where it was hard to breathe. Adjusting the glasses on his nose, Tacitus nodded and patted Evzen at the small of his back.

"It was wrong of us to force you into this marriage in the first place, no title of nobility or throne is so important to where we'd wish upon you everlasting misery." Tacitus said with smile. Behind her father's hand, Bilia made a noise of anger, offended by Tacitus claimed Evzen would be miserable married to her. "Go on son, go where your heart will take you." He pushed Evzen towards the door with a gentle shove. Evzen beamed happily at his father before bolting towards the throne room, eager to finally be able to openly comfort Mune.

He slid to a stop in the throne room door, clearing his throat and adjusting his coat again, trying to reclaim his somber face. His smile faded willingly as he glanced around the throne room, not finding Mune near her family any longer. Pressing his lips together into a thin line he spun back around, nearly bowling over an elderly couple as he dashed towards the castle gates.

He raced all the way to the city, finally stopping to breathe in Schuttgart's square. He winced as a stitch lanced through his side, his soft upbringing still dominating his physical fitness despite his journey previously with Mune. Spying her brother as he carried a box of Ballard's belongings out of the church, he dashed for him. Calisan lifted an eyebrow as the breathless noble gasped for air in front of him.

"Mune left not long ago; you just missed her." Calisan stated as Evzen tried to find breath to speak. Desperation crept into Evzen's expression and his mouth dropped open slightly as Calisan crouched to sort through Ballard's belongings. "She needed to get out of this city, I hope you can understand. Nothing against you or your family, she just couldn't stand seeing this place after everything that has happened." He squinted up at Evzen, shielding his eyes from the glare of the sun.

"Do you know where she was going?" Evzen finally managed to say. Calisan shrugged and stood with the box again.

"Probably towards Goddard, I wouldn't put it past her to try and sneak across the border to go home." Calisan stated, walking down the stairs heavily. Evzen froze with Calisan's words, disbelieving that he, as her brother, would allow her to travel while the world was in such a state.

"You let her go to Goddard with the war brewing?" Evzen exclaimed, walking quickly to close the distance Calisan's casual pace had put between them.

"When Mune makes up her mind you can't tell her no." Calisan said lightly, pausing after descending the stairs into the poor district. When Evzen opened his mouth to protest again, Calisan looked at him so seriously that he closed it without a word. "My grandfather took care of me and my sisters while we were growing up, please understand. My two sisters and I still remember our parents before they died, but Mune only knew him as a parent. This ordeal is exceptionally hard on her." Evzen blinked at him slowly, his heart truly squeezing in sympathy for the entire Teristen family, not only Mune.

"Thank you for telling me, brother of Mune." Evzen said elegantly, and bowed slightly. "I will take it upon myself to find her and make sure no harm comes to her." With that he spun on his heel to take off for his house. He made his decision right there that he would pack up his essential belongings and pay the temporary Gatekeeper for a spell to Goddard, then merely wait for Mune until she arrived. Nothing could go wrong with this plan, he would remain safe within the confines of the city, and Mune would arrive within time. This he was certain would be true, and being the coward that he was, there were very few things that Evzen was certain about.

That evening the skies over the northern part of Aden Territory was stormy with lightning and thunder. The clouds were colored like blood as the red moon raised behind them, helping disguise the blood on the ground with the dim light they reflected.

Ryonai paced back and forth across the bastion where archers waited with their bows ready, watching the fight below. Vlad had been appointed the leader of the first unit sent out to battle Elmorean troops as they crossed the border, and for the moment looked as if he were winning. This wave of Elmorean troops was weak, but Ryonai knew better than to assume that all of the fighters from Elmore were the same. They were testing the waters with them, seeing how formidable of a force the King of Aden had sent out. Despite the order to hit them with the full force of the army, Ryonai had taken the reins and sent out a smaller group. Some of his best fighters from his clan were amongst the fray, including Gatz and Emixia, and he had no worries that they would not win this first battle.

The fortress they were in had been erected from the remains of the Devastated Castle, close enough to the Border Gates that they could put a stop to any advancing troop from Elmore. A set of exorcists and Bishops had been sent to the Castle before the army arrived, and had cleared it of the undead that had habited it for centuries. Ryonai figured, somewhere in the back of his mind, that this was temporary, because once a land was cursed with undead they always seemed to return to it. As long as they didn't show up and cause trouble while he was trying to win a battle versus Elmore, he would be fine.

Down on the battlefield, Vlad cut down Elmorean troops without pause. His grinning v-shaped face and black armor was speckled with blood and his brown hair tousled, giving him an almost demonic appearance. Finding that his dual swords did not cut down enough people with one blow, he sheathed them and grabbed a large two-handed sword that lay discarded on the ground. In one fluid movement he shouted as he swung the blade, the sword cutting into the torsos of three Elmorean troops all at once.

Within the Devastated Castle, Amari was startled out of his meditative state at the same time that Vlad cut down the Elmorean troops, as if he'd heard it himself. He sighed and put a hand to his forehead, trying to calm his heartbeat again. He'd been having another vision of Ilyra, his memory replaying the strange ritual her father had performed upon her, the ritual that had killed her.

He jumped up from the bed as a pale hand slid against his neck, and whipped around to look at who had touched him. Shizuka lay behind him, wearing a filmy red outfit akin to what the dancers in the Kings court wore. A richly embroidered bikini sat at her hips, see-through filmy pants flaring over her legs, and her breasts were merely covered with a see-through robe, which displayed her nakedness beneath. Amari swallowed audibly, his throat suddenly dry as she reclined seductively across his bed.

"What are you doing here?" Amari's voice cracked, struggling to keep his eyes plastered upon her face. She sighed and rolled onto her back to stretch, arching her spine in an inviting manner. Amari shut his eyes as she moaned with her stretch and began to recall mathematic ratios for dealing with the manor system in Heine. Resecuring his composure he opened his eyes again, and relaxed as he found she'd rolled over onto her stomach. "More importantly, does Ryonai know you're here? He's been looking for you forever…"

"Do you want to see her again?" Shizuka interrupted, resting her chin on her arms. Amari opened his mouth to respond and then frowned, not sure what she was asking him. Sighing in impatience, Shizuka stood slowly, letting the fabric whisper as it slid across the bed. "That girl…the one that drove you to become great so many years ago…do you wish to see her?" she asked, walking seductively towards him.

"If you're asking what I think you're asking, you'd best change the subject now." Amari said darkly, narrowing his eyes at her as she approached. He glanced away from her and lowered his head, his crimson hair falling over his eyes. "I don't appreciate such cruel jokes." He added in a low voice. Shizuka giggled in a sultry manner and pressed herself against his body. Caught off guard as she reached up to caress his chin with her fingertips, Amari fell back against the wall, his eyes large again. He froze as she wet her lips and raised her face to his.

"Mother will release her soul from the Abyss if you pledge yourself to her cause." Shizuka whispered against his mouth. Amari's lips parted a crack and he glanced down at her with his brow furrowed. He was but a loyal servant of Shilen, had he not already pledged himself to her? As if sensing his unspoken question Shizuka smirked and licked his chin lightly and then stepped away. "Mother needs your utmost devotion to her…right now you are…how shall we say…distracted." She smiled darkly and glanced at him over her shoulder, the robe falling away from it slightly. "Oh…and Ilyra's soul is not the only gift mother will give you…she will make it so that you don't have to keep that annoying little self seal on all of that power you hold…wouldn't that be nice?"

Amari's eyes widened with this, cursing to himself as his heart responded to both of her offers. He had long since kept a self-restraint on a well of dark power sleeping within his body, more for the safety of others than for him. It was taxing to cast magic at only a quarter of its power; it took more energy to hold it in than to dispel it. Shilen had offered to show him how to control it before, but not like this. He shook his head firmly, dispelling the sudden want to follow her, firmly telling himself that his loyalties to his friends needed to be his top priority right now.

"Unless Shilen herself requests my devotion, I must regretfully decline." Amari said firmly, not looking at Shizuka. She was in front of him again in an instant, giving him a truly sympathetic look and caressing his cheek.

"Poor thing…so torn between your friends, brother and goddess…it hurts, doesn't it?" she cooed, stroking the hair from his face. Despite his attempts at not responding to her obvious seduction act, Amari finally raised a hand and pressed her caressing one into his cheek and sighed. It had been a long time since he'd felt a woman's touch, even his own mother's. It embarrassed him to admit that it actually felt good, even when coming from his clan leaders supposed girlfriend. He placed a hand at the small of her back to press her a little firmer against his body, enjoying the sinful feel of that too.

"If what you speak is true…what is it that Shilen wishes of me?" he finally asked after a moment of enjoying the warmth of her hand. His voice trembled like his body, emotions he thought long since dead reawakening. He wanted to see Ilyra again he realized, he wanted it so bad he could almost taste it. A dark smirk spreading on her lips, Shizuka pulled away from Amari again, slipping her hand away from his face.

"If you wish to know, go to the old well where the ghost of Lydia lives at midnight. My envoy will retrieve you then." Shizuka said mysteriously, backing away from him. "Do not worry, if the deal does not entice you in the end, we can call it off." She added to the uneasiness that flashed across his face.

"And Ilyra's soul if I refuse the deal?" Amari prompted, wanting to know all of his options. Shizuka sighed sadly and raised a hand to her chest in a dramatic motion. She began to disappear into a waft of red smoke, starting with her toes.

"Her soul will be lost forever…" Shizuka said as her face disappeared, leaving Amari once again in an empty room.

"Man, how much longer are we going to play patty cake with those Aden clowns anyway?" Teiddwen, a Warlock from Elmore asked her companion as they stood by the Border Gates. Just on the other side of the gates stood a sizeable force, waiting for the order to attack. The man Frintezza had appointed as the battle leader had sent in a small group to the Devastated Castle, just as Ryonai had predicted, to see how great their forces were. The plan was for that force to call a retreat, and then the larger group attack after reporting any noticeable weaknesses. The Devastated Castle was a major support for Aden Territory, and Elmore could easily launch an attack on the city of Aden from there. Once Aden fell, the rest of the country would fall quickly, like dominoes.

"They should be calling a retreat soon." Ghayth, her Orc Shaman companion said with a shrug. His hair was sand colored and tightly braided, a nearly colorless contrast to her sharp lime green hair. Teiddwen sighed heavily and shifted in impatience. There was a strange strangled cry behind her, but she ignored it, figuring it was someone finding an Aden scout and doing away with him.

"I hope so, I don't like being under this red sky." She said, shivering as she glanced up at the stormy red clouds. "It's like the end is breathing down upon us." She shivered again as another strangled cry sounded behind her. This time she frowned, finding it odd that there would've been two scouts so close together. She blinked as she felt a presence behind her, and both she and Ghayth turned slightly, their eyes large. The last thing either of them saw was the flash of twin swords covered in blood and ethereal hellfire and the maniacal grin of the man who held them.

As the battle raged on outside of the castle, Narlafayn, locked inside of a tiny closet-like room, tossed and turned in a restless sleep. She moaned lightly as she thrashed, trying to wake from the nightmarish images plaguing her unconscious mind. She was a device of destruction and despair in her dreams, an object which destroyed cities of beings from the ancient times. She laughed in glee as she was commanded to destroy every one of the creatures whom ran in terror from her, happy to finally be of service to her masters.

In the waking world, sweat began to bead on her skin as she panted, her chest tight from the horror of what she saw. She ripped the collar of her nightgown from her neck, her veins and muscles pulsing beneath the skin as strange runic tattoos suddenly wrote themselves across her flesh, burning there as if she were being branded.

Outside the Castle, a lone figure approached the mass of fighting bodies, walking slowly and elegantly. Gatz was the first to notice this approaching figure in the corner of his eye and lifted his head after he was sure the Elmorean troop on the ground was no longer twitching around his spear. He tilted his head and frowned as he noticed the dual swords the approaching figure held, curiously noting the strange hellfire that seemed to circle around the blades.

"Hey Vlad!" Gatz shouted to the Gladiator behind him. Vlad glanced up after impaling a soldier in a painful way upon the two-handed sword, and followed Gatz's hand as he pointed.

Within her room, just as the tattoos finished branding themselves across her neck and chest, Narlafayn's eyes snapped open, engulfed in black.

Up on the bastion, Ryonai's attention was drawn as he caught strains of protesting from the inner courtyard. After giving control of the bastion to a dark elf that went by the code name Blue Lotus, he half jumped half ran down the steps to approach the voices. A group of men he'd brought with him from Aden were restraining a woman who struggled against them with all of her might.

"What's going on here?" Ryonai asked in his best commanding voice. The men jumped to attention and parted, revealing a very angry and bedraggled Lavinia at their center. She glared hatefully at Ryonai, annoyed that men under his control would restrain her.

"This woman claims she's from your clan, but she has no crest." One of the men reported, motioning to her. Next to him another guard held Oon by the scruff of his neck, the tiny creature struggling as he dangled. The guard's other hand was pressed against his chest, gushing blood from a rather nasty looking animal bite.

"I told you, I left it in Schuttgart by accident." Lavinia said hotly, trying to pull her arms free in vain. "I don't have time for this Ryonai, there's something important I need to tell you before it's too late…"

"Miss, you shouldn't be out here without armor!" a man said loudly. The courtyard group jumped and glanced over as the man suddenly cried out in pain, a cry which ended in a strange, dried choking noise. Walking calmly, her face strangely devoid of emotion, Narlafayn emerged from the darkness of the inner castle. Her eyes were still completely black, and her body pulsed with a strange power that left everyone anxious with fear.

"Narlafayn…" Lavinia breathed in a tiny voice. The strange power that wafted off of her body in smoke-like wisps was very similar to the strange power that had engulfed Terebel the night of Ballard's death. She didn't want to feel that power again; it was a kind of dark energy that violated her very core.

"Narlafayn, you shouldn't be out here." Ryonai said in a warning tone, taking a step towards her and holding out a restraining arm. Without even acknowledging his presence, Narlafayn flung a hand out, a strange burst of energy released from it the instant it touched Ryonai's chest. With a shocked cry of pain he spun in the air as he flew across the entire length of the courtyard.

"Ryonai!" Lavinia and several troops shouted as Ryonai slammed into the crumbling wall. Several bricks fell down around him and he winced and tried to roll onto his side. Blinking rapidly he glanced down at his chestplate, where a hole the size of Narlafayn's hand had suddenly appeared. It was like his armor was melted in a perfect oval shape, exposing his skin underneath.

"Is that Terebel?" Vlad finally asked after squinting at the approaching figure for a few moments. "I want swords like that, where do you think he got them?" he asked with a childish pout, pointing at the blades the Dark Elf held.

"Something doesn't feel right…" Emixia said in a low voice, joining the men as they watched Terebel approach. They both glanced at her and then back to Terebel, and knew in an instant what she meant. There was something menacing about the way he walked, something that spoke that he was there for one reason, and he would not be deterred from it.

"DON'T LET HIM APPROACH!" Lavinia shouted from the bastion. The trio glanced towards the castle in surprise, and then blinked in confusion as Narlafayn walked slowly across the drawbridge in nothing but her nightgown.

Before they could turn back to face Terebel he was among them like a blur of death, cutting through both friend and foe alike. Gatz and Vlad cried out as Terebel dashed between them first, wounding both with barely a tap from the god-cursed blades.

"What the hell…?" Vlad winced as he pressed a hand to the wound just barely missing the major artery in his neck. With a growl Emixia launched herself at Terebel, angered that he'd hurt Vlad. Terebel glanced at her without moving his head, then faster than she could follow, blocked the swing she took at him and stabbed her smoothly through the stomach. She gasped in shock and fell as he withdrew the blade just as quickly as he'd inserted it. Angered that his mistress was wounded, Emixia's Black Panther leapt at him next, and Terebel spun as he fought other soldiers, beheading the beast in the swirl of blades.

Narlafayn continued to walk towards him, untouched by the battle around her, the strange power her body coursed with deflecting anyone that dare touch her. Once a path cleared between them, Terebel focused upon her as she approached. Suddenly loosing interest in the battle around him he closed the space between them quickly.

"NO! DON'T LET THEM EMBRACE!" the roaring shout of Paagrio came as he, Eva and Maphr suddenly appeared, on the outskirts of the battleground. Maphr covered her mouth in fear as Paagrio's warning came too late. Terebel pressed Narlafayn close in a lover's embrace, and they began to kiss as if starved for one another. A strange burst of energy erupted from their bodies in a circular light rimmed with black. Anyone close enough to them met an unfortunate fate as the energy burst over the field, soldiers from both sides having but a moment to cry out in fear before their bodies fizzled into dust.

The pair broke the kiss to breathe, and stared at each other in hungry desire. From the bastion, Oon leapt from Lavinia's shoulder, returning to the form of Oonugh before he hit the ground. He raced towards the pair as they kissed again, shielding himself as another burst of energy washed over the field. There was a scream despair from both as Oonugh ripped them apart, and burst of white light blinded everyone watching the strange, frightening scene. When the light had faded only Oonugh was left standing, an unconscious Narlafayn cradled in his arms; Terebel had disappeared into the night as quickly as he had come.

During the confusion, Amari had slipped out of a back door and raced through the night without a sound. A war raged within him over his impending decision, knowing that following Shizuka now most likely meant he'd be betraying his friends somehow. Still, Shilen was his goddess, and he couldn't deny that Shizuka smelled of her, and the Abyss. Only the Dark Mother of Dusk Lilith had carried that scent, he could still recall it so clearly although it had been years since he had been in her company.

He had arrived at the well at exactly midnight, and nearly a half-hour had passed since then. Sitting on the edge of the crumbling hole he huffed indignantly. Those who failed to recognize punctuality, especially those whom he had gone out of his way for, was a massive pet peeve. He jumped up, his heart pounding in his ears as he felt the discharge of energy from the embracing pair. It was an energy far beyond his own, something more sinister than even Einhasad's wrath. After staring in the direction of the castle for a few tense moments, he began to pace, his mind in turmoil over his decision.

"Screw this, I'm going back." He finally decided, squaring his shoulders. If Shilen had truly wanted his devotion, she would've come for him before now. He felt stupid and naive, like Shizuka had purposefully lured him away from the castle so whatever had released that energy could do so.

"Where are you going?" a smooth male voice asked, halting Amari mid-step. He spun quickly to face the voice, not noticing the speaker's presence before. The man that had retrieved Shana from the Swamp of Screams, the blue-grey skinned man with feathery white, unruly hair and an equally feathery chin beard, smirked at Amari from the side of the well. He balanced upon its crumbling bricks gracefully, and Amari was shocked to find the limp, unconscious body of Terebel under one of the man's arms.

"Unhand my clansman." Amari said roughly, holding his hands in front of his body as he began to silently draw together a spell. A long flash of lightning erupted through the sky, casting shadows across the land. Amari felt true fear settle into his chest as the man's shadow showed, very clearly, a large, winged dragon. He let his spell dissipate into the air, his mouth dropping open slightly in awe.

"Welcome, chosen of my sister." The man, whom also was the frightening wind dragon Lindvior, said. He extended his free clawed hand in welcome, a fang-displaying grin spreading on his face. Shocked to his soul, Amari slowly lifted a hand and placed it in Lindvior's clawed one. The dragon closed his hand as their skin touched, and took off into the sky, both Dark Elves in tow.

After the chaos had settled and what was left of the Elmore troops had retreated in fear, Haibane gathered within the demolished throne room of the Devastated Castle. Vlad, Gatz and Emixia were tended to by Komugi, Maeve and Vuylay, and the still-unconscious Narlafayn laid on her back in the center of the room, her hands folded peacefully on her chest. Everyone was quiet and somber, not just because of Terebel and Narlafayn killing half of Vlad's unit by just kissing one another, or because Oonugh had not returned to his Drabbit form, but because the three gods were still among them. They knelt at the points of a peach-colored triangle barrier that they'd erected over Narlafayn, their eyes shut in concentration as they willed the runic branding on her skin away. It faded like smoldering paper, black smoke disappearing into the air as it was sealed away.

"I don't care if you guys find this disrespectful, but will someone please explain what the HELL is going on here?" Ryonai's voice finally spoke up, impatient with the silence. Several jaws dropped open in shock that Ryonai would speak so boldly in front of the gods themselves. Personally, Ryonai could've cared less; he owed nothing to the gods in front of him as he was not Orc, Elf or Dwarf.

"Half of my first unit out there just completely fizzled like dust in the wind and one of my friends seems to have gone nuts with some bizarre swords from hell, I think I deserve an explanation or two. Or three or four if you will." He ended his statement out of breath and panted. The gods on the floor opened their eyes and glanced between one another before Paagrio stood. Komugi stiffened as she healed Gatz, feeling Eva's gaze as it brushed over her, and Gatz tilted his head curiously at her reaction.

"Where to begin?" Paagrio mused to himself, glancing at first Sharmin and then Oonugh. The first stiffened as Komugi had with Eva's gaze, and moved closer to Gatz.

"Just start from the beginning and end with the part where Terebel becomes an asshat and kills his own clanmates." Ryonai said with a scowl, folding his arms across his chest. Paagrio's brow furrowed slightly with Ryonai's choice of words, and then he sighed heavily.

"The beginning, short-lived human, was thousands of years ago, long before any of you were in the bodies that you inhabit today." He began to walk around the room slowly as he spoke, like a priest preaching to a congregation of followers. "Make yourselves comfortable mortals; this story will take some time to tell."


	26. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

_The Tale of the Nerafan._

Thousands of years ago, Shilen created the elves, both dark and light. So happy was she that she'd been allowed to create such creatures of beauty and grace that she presented her mother, Einhasad with a gift of a pair of them, the most beautiful and graceful of the lot she'd made. Touched that her daughter would give the best out of her creations, Einhasad accepted them with joy, and named the boy Elehar and the girl Appylonia.

Because she was protective of these two creations, as they were unique and rare to their kind, Einhasad brought them to live in her palace. She let them have free run of heaven, enjoying watching them sing and play in the same way a woman enjoys watching her pet exotic birds. She lost interest in the pair after Shilen waged war against her, and they became servants in the home they were once spoiled in, and ignored.

Meanwhile, on the earth, the Hammer of Despair, Gran Kain's own weapon that Einhasad had used to destroy the Giants, woke to find itself propped up under a tree. Curiously, the hammer did not wonder where its master was, or how it got to the mortal world in the first place.  
>"Oh well, I shall wait here then." The hammer thought. "My lord shall realize I am not there and retrieve me soon!"<br>Hours passed into days, days passed into weeks, and still Gran Kain did not come for his hammer. Weeks kept going by to the point when the hammer began to stop counting. Birds came and went with the seasons, making nests on its head and raising chirping young. This mildly annoyed the hammer, so it used its powers to destroy the birds when they got too much to bear. Grass and vines began to climb up it next, and the hammer destroyed this too. Soon, a patch of barren earth formed around the hammer, and the tree it was propped against withered and died.

One day, a band of Dwarves known only by their guild name of Mammon happened across the hammer. The Dwarves saw the destruction around the hammer and knew instantly to whom it belonged.  
>"To think!" said they, "the very hammer used to destroy the giants!"<br>Seeing as how the God of Chaos was nowhere in sight, the Dwarves took the hammer with them, chuckling in glee at their find.  
>Unable to use its powers on the creation children of the children of Gran Kain, the hammer could only fearfully ponder its fate as the Dwarves took it away to the Northern Lands. After many weeks of travel, it found itself in the Volcanic Forge of its birth. The Dwarves known as Mammon carefully laid the mighty hammer on a forging table and began the preparations to break it back down into its initial components<p>

"Oh master!" the hammer cried, "Why have you left me to this fate? Have I not been faithful to you all these years? I destroy when you order me to, are you still angry about the destruction of the giants so many years ago? Answer me, my master, Gran Kain!"  
>But there was no response for the hammer, and the Mammon Dwarves placed the hammer in a great, hot furnace.<br>It was not made from ordinary metal, the hammer, so it stayed in the fire for a full day, trying to remain itself. The Mammon Dwarves slumbered peacefully in the hot forge as the hammer tried desperately to stay alive.

Exhausted with praying fruitlessly to Gran Kain, the hammer turned it's prayers to Einhasad.

"Oh noble creator of life," the hammer called above the roar of fire, "Why do you condemn me to this fate as well? Did I not serve you faithfully in the era of the Giants? Did I not perfectly destroy that which you commanded me to?"  
>Hearing the pleas of the hammer, Einhasad ignored them for she was the Goddess of Life and could not tarnish her image being known to rescue the instrument of destruction from the fires. Although Dwarves being in possession of the metal that would destroy life did worry her, and she made plans to remove the Dwarves of Mammon from the mortal plane.<p>

Feeling it's body loose shape, the hammer sent out one last sobbing prayer to the Goddess of Death herself, asking her to welcome it into her abyss, for it had been alive too long to return to the state of nothingness that it remembered before it had form.  
>"This is amazing!" exclaimed the dwarves as they gazed upon the smelted hammer in the flames. "Such a large hammer returned to this much metal! Surely the gods are a wonder! Why, there's only enough here for an arrowhead!" The dwarves had but only a moment rejoice at their new discovery when a pair of mighty jaws closed around them, and they found themselves within the fiery stomach of Valakas. Shilen stood by his side and stroked his head affectionately as he let out a whine and craned his neck towards her. With a dark smirk she approached the great forge and bent over it, her hair falling over her shoulders in tendrils as she gazed within it.<p>

"Do you want a life of your own, faithful instrument of despair? Do you want to avenge this humiliation that your master and mistress have left you to?" Shilen asked the trembling metal, reaching in to scoop it up as it cried out its answer with all of its might.

"Yes, OH YES!" it shouted, knowing that if it had a body it would be weeping tears of joy at this moment. With a cold smile she began to pass through space, moving without moving, strands of her hair floating around her as she gained speed. She gazed at the small bit of metal in her hands, and told it, in a voice as cold and smooth as the deepest parts of the ocean, the prophesy of the Giants that it would help fulfill.

"Soon, Gran Kain will father a child upon one of my creation-children, a child I have made within my image." She began, her voice silky. "She is exceptional, and he will never realize that even visiting a woman in her dreams will fill her womb with child." She laughed darkly before continuing. "You see, Gran Kain is the one god whom must never bear young with a mortal, for it was the final curse of the Giants with their dying magic that said if he should do so, the destroyer of the world would surely spring forth from his seed. To repay the humiliation they have dealt you, I will give you new life, so that you may be the destroyer's tool, his weapon that will end the foolish life of the gods, and the selfish lives of those who worship them." The metal shivered, pleased with this idea.

"I want him now…" it purred, desire to be wielded by such a force coursing through its liquid form. Shilen smirked darkly and stepped once, her travel ending within the room of the gifts she'd once left her mother.

Dividing the metal into two, Shilen approached first Elehar and then Appylonia, dropping the metal onto their chests. It snaked around like liquid mercury before absorbing into their skin, binding with their bodies until the day it would be put together again. A tiny third part remained in her hand, and she clenched it close to her chest. This part she would keep, for she had another plan to put into motion.

She disappeared from her mother's realm as she felt Einhasad awaken from her slumber. The goddess of light and creation stormed through her palace and ripped the Elven pair from their beds, sensing what their bodies now carried and frightened of them. Now that the hammer was merged with the two of them, she could do nothing but drive them away.

Sayha was the most pained by this turn of events, for he had fallen madly in love with Appylonia and would've likened to take her as his bride. After a fight, Einhasad opened the fabric between worlds and thrust the teenaged Elven pair through, sealing them out of her world forever.

They awoke in a world called Vana'diel, frightened and alone save for one another. Eventually they made their way in this world, and eventually discovered feelings of love for one another. In this love they conceived a child, a girl which was born to them in due time. She had the strangest shade of violet eyes, but they thought this to be beautiful, never knowing that the hammer they carried within them had passed on to her. They named her Narlafayn, a name derived from the ancient word "Nerafan", meaning "Vengeance", for all they could feel for their old world was a deep and insatiable hatred.

The gods of this new world were frightened of this small family, and after Elehar and Appylonia died within a war, one god in particular tried his best to isolate their daughter. She was still loved despite it, and grew as girls would.

Meanwhile, in Aden, Shilen's plan came into effect. Gran Kain laid with an Abyssal Celebrant in her dreams, and their union was fruitful. Horrified as the Celebrant gave birth within only a few months' time to twin girls, Gran Kain killed the mother and tried to kill the girls. They escaped him however, and reached adulthood within only a year's time.

Knowing that their father could not harm them in the care of the Giants, the girls became enamored with their ancient life and technology. They were born with the knowledge of their prophesy, that one of them would one day bring forth destruction to the world, and searched the Giants teachings for a way to stop this. They wanted to live as themselves, not be slave to destiny.

Finally finding a way, the women attended a party in the Elven Village to find what they searched for. One whom had been touched by the gods, a man gifted with foresight was their goal. One of the women would become pregnant from a night spent with him, and they would be free from their destiny.

Ballard knew what his night spent with the Dark Elven twins Zraa and Polar would bring forth, but yet he still went with them willingly. Perhaps it was the loneliness in their eyes that had prompted him, or perhaps he knew something with his foresight that would make things alright in the end. One couldn't tell, nor will they ever now…


	27. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

_The way things will be_

The throne room of the Devastated Castle was plunged into silence save for the distant rumble of thunder. Everyone had held their breath, the shock at finding out that two of their friends and clanmates were destined to bring the end to everything. Never expecting this kind of story, Ryonai swallowed hard, trying to wet his dry throat, and glanced around the room to the somber faces of his clanmates.

"You're lying." Narlafayn's voice came, rough with unshed tears. Everyone glanced around the gods to find her sitting up, still encased within the barrier. She glared at Paagrio fiercely, her eyes bleary and face contorted into saddened anger as she tried to keep her tears from falling. Her arms shook as she held her body up, and her lips trembled ever so slightly.

"The gods do not make it a habit of lying to mortals." Paagrio stated firmly, his voice hard.

"You're LYING!" Narlafayn shouted, and tried to propel herself through the barrier. It reflected her with a zap of electricity, and she tumbled to the floor. Her head hidden in a cave made with her arms as she tried to push herself to her feet again, she began to cry in loud, mournful sobs. "I'm not what you say I am…I'm not!" she wept. Sharmin's face contorted into sympathy pain and she took a step towards Narlafayn, but was halted as Komugi grabbed her wrist.

Everything made sense to Narlafayn now, the hatred she received in Vana'diel, the strange times when she'd loose connection with herself in battle here, and the bizarre, disturbing dreams of death. Even the strange times when she and Terebel would be interrupted when they would try to spend alone time together made sense now. Fear surged through her chest in an instant, causing her crying to increase. Did she so desperately love Terebel only because it was the weapon within her responding to his destiny as the world's destroyer? No, she loved him for him; this much she was positive of! But did Terebel really care for her then, or was it his destiny unconsciously driving him?

"Can't we do something?" Vuylay finally asked in a hushed voice. "You gods are known to diffuse strong power by splitting it or sealing it aren't you?" The gods looked between themselves again, communing with one another silently. They knew who Vuylay was and why she had asked such a thing. Maphr pushed herself to her feet, her slanted, ruffled skirt swishing around her legs as she moved.

"We could seal their destines behind the runic magic…" she began, her voice clear and mature. Narlafayn raised her head quickly as hope surged through her and several members of Haibane breathed in premature sighs of relief. "…however, if they were to have children, this destiny would just merely be passed on to them. The hammer would just transfer to the next generation, as would the power to destroy the world. It would be even more horrible if this woman and the destroyer were to have children together, then the next destroyer would be born with weapon in hand. The seals would not have mattered at all by then."

Narlafayn stared at the back of Maphr's red head without expression, her breath coming out in short pants. She felt as if a hole had been gouged in her heart with the earth goddess' words. Not only was she forbidden from Terebel now, but from the last thing that might ever comfort her as well. She shook her head firmly as she denied this to herself. She would not accept this as truth, she refused to!

"We are releasing the barrier upon the weapon of despair now; please take care to keep it away from the destroyer." Eva said, standing.

"She's not a thing, she's a living being! You would be wise to respect her as such." Vuylay snapped, angry that the gods would speak of something that inconvenienced them so cruelly. There were several gasps of shock as the gods turned to look at her, two of their faces angry and the third hurt. Paagrio was in her face in a second, tiny flames forming on his skin and disappearing into the air after flickering once.

"If you were not who you are, you would pay dearly for that disrespectful comment." He growled. Vuylay met his deep red eyes without flinching, not afraid. She was of his blood, and he could not harm her, even though he so dearly wanted to. Her eyes widened slightly as a terrifying thought passed through her mind; if Narlafayn had not already found Terebel, she could've easily been manipulated by the other gods to do their bidding. Not just the gods either…anyone could use the raw, commandable power that she had within her.

"So what are we supposed to do then, kill them?" Ryonai asked, stepping between the angry fire god and Vuylay. Paagrio glared at Vuylay for a moment before glancing at Ryonai.

"No, killing them both will not be necessary." Eva answered as Paagrio turned away from them. Before everyone relaxed she continued; "Just keep this one within sight, and we will deal with the destroyer."

"NO!" Narlafayn cried, jumping up as the barrier faded from around her. Oonugh reached out and put a heavy hand on her shoulder, restraining her from approaching the gods. "No you can't kill him! He didn't ask for this any more than I did!" she said hysterically, fighting against Oonugh's restraint. "Let me go! I won't let you do this!" Eva held a hand out, her palm facing Narlafayn, and narrowed her eyes. Narlafayn's body went rigid as Eva's power flowed through her, and then she slumped against Oonugh, unconscious.

"Follow our commands and you will live as always." Paagrio said as he and his sisters began to fade. "Disobey them, and know that you will have to say farewell to your friends." The gods disappeared in flares of power akin to their element, leaving the throne room feeling colder than before.

Sharmin emerged from the Devastated Castle to fetch water from the well in the inner courtyard. Years ago the well had been poisoned, and had killed off everyone in the forgotten city that the Devastated Castle had governed. The poison had faded over time, and many believed the water from the well inside this cursed place was the freshest and purest in the entire country.

She bent over to drop the well bucket into the water many feet below, and tugged the rope as she encouraged water to fill it. Her mind was reeling from everything she'd heard that night, and it shamed her to admit, even to herself, that she was frightened. Her heart went out in pity for Narlafayn, for she had experienced just a slice of the life Narlafayn had gone through in the strange world of Vana'diel. She wished with all of her might that she could do something now to help change this bleak future ahead of her.

"Your powers will be needed soon." Paagrio's voice came. Sharmin spun around quickly, nearly loosing her grip on the rope attached to the bucket. The fire god stood behind her, wearing nothing but the ragged brown loincloth she recalled him wearing from her dream, staring at her patiently. The strange tribal tattoos still covered his arms, and strings of bones and beads decorated his muscles over that.

"I don't understand what you're telling me." Sharmin said, her eyes large. Paagrio sighed heavily and stood from where he had perched himself upon a rock. She took an involuntary step backwards as he approached her.

"Surely now you realize your power?" he asked her seriously as she stumbled and fell to her bottom on the side of the well. Paagrio leaned his hands on the stone around her and hovered over her as if in a prelude to an embrace of some sort. Sharmin swallowed hard and stared the god straight in his eyes, too afraid of him to move.

"I'm just a Paladin, and not a very good one at that." Sharmin said in a small voice. Paagrio shut his eyes to shake his head, his tightly braided, stiff hair swishing across his back.

"You can change the past with your power, haven't you realized yet? You've done it three times now." Paagrio said, opening his eyes again to bear into her blue-gray ones. "The first time was when you involuntarily thrust yourself into the past out of fear of death, and you changed history so that the woman my brother was about to kill survived long enough to wound him. The second time I'm told was in the other world, and you shifted the events preluding the Hammer of Despair's return to this world. The third time was recently, you can't remember?" Sharmin shook her head, her eyes large. She fought against trembling with all of her might, her heart pounding with his words. She wanted to deny what he was saying was true; for she had no clear memory of it, but her heart told her what he spoke was real. "The last time was recently, when you stopped the destroyer of the world from retrieving the hammer from the body of that Elf, you had just barely made it in time…"

Sharmin's breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened. Quite clearly, as he spoke, she recalled what he said. She remembered hearing Narlafayn's screams before Leon, and had raced up to Narlafayn's room to find out what was wrong. Terebel, his eyes so demonic then that it terrified her to recall it, stood above her, the hammer in his hands. Narlafayn lay below him, dead. Her power activated as he leapt at her with the hammer in hand, and she found herself inside of his body, just mere moments before she burst into the room. The hammer's handle was half out of her torso, and Sharmin released it in horror. It re-entered her body and the wound sealed back up. As Terebel, she stumbled from the room and back to his, where she separated from him. Horrified at what he'd almost done, Terebel had curled up to cry until he heard Leon's voice shout Narlafayn's name. Sharmin returned to her body as Terebel jumped up again to race into Narlafayn's room, frightened that he'd killed her.

"Why do I have this power?" she whispered to no one, glancing down at the ground, one fist pressed against her chest. It was the power Ferrol had spoke of Dierdre, her birth mother, having.

"I do not know." Paagrio answered honestly, standing again. "But if you let me, I will train you on how to use it efficiently." Sharmin blinked once and looked up at the tall fire god in surprise. "You can prevent the events happening now from ever taking place. With my guidance we can go back to the time when the Destroyer was born…no…even farther than that…and put an end to the dreams that conceived the destroyer's mother in the first place… We can…"

"NO." Sharmin said bravely, standing up quickly. Paagrio drew back slightly in surprise, not expecting her response to be a rejection. "I am sorry, but I refuse to kill people." She set her jaw as Paagrio's surprise turned to confusion. Of course the god of fire and war would not understand what she'd said, he was the god of the Orcs, and Orcs knew only battle. "I am a Paladin, I protect lives, not take them." A strange sensation of courage began to build within her, and she no longer felt afraid of the god, or of the world around her. She raised her head bravely, gazing at Paagrio without fear. "I am a Paladin, and I intend on saving people, even ones you are set to kill. There is always a way, death is not the final choice."

"You are wasting the gift I have given you on trite human ideals?" Paagrio asked angrily, his face contorting into rage. "You have the strength of the Orcs within you! I did not restore the dying fire that I had given my father just for you to remain a pacifist coward!" Sharmin's eyes twitched slightly as he was in her face again, flame dancing on his skin. It occurred to her that his face was turning slightly more bovine, almost like the Minotaur of legend.

"Then feel free to take it away." She said in a low voice, staring directly into his eyes. Paagrio growled softly, not breaking their eye contact, and then turned away as he realized his plan had backfired. Sharmin was using his gift despite his words, but she was not using it in the way he had wanted.

"Then die with the rest of them, you will not live to see the world after the winter." Paagrio said softly, his back facing her. He disappeared in a burst of flame, and Sharmin sunk down to the side of the well once more. Her heart pounded in the shock of realizing she'd just stood up to a fearsome god and somehow come away with her life in tact.

"The power to change the course of time…" she murmured to herself, staring at her hands in wonder. One hand still held the bucket rope, reminding her of what she had come there to do. Embarrassed that she'd left the bucket within the well for so long, she stood and pulled on it to haul it out. This power was definitely something the gods feared, she realized, and for a split second Sharmin was filled with a bevy of evil ideas. Blinking into the air for a moment, she was surprised at the sudden burst of dark nature inside of her mind. Knowing herself better than that, she returned to pulling on the bucket rope and laughed off everything she'd just thought of. She really was a protector, she knew this now, and she would stand by it. No god would be able to convince her differently, even if it was tempting at times.

Komugi hid within the darkness of the servant's doorway into the inner castle. She stared in shock at the ground, one hand pressed to her chest. She'd just overheard what Sharmin and Paagrio had discussed, leaving her in a state akin to fear. It was impossible to fathom, Sharmin, her big, cowardly mousey sister had powers stronger than anything she'd ever heard of before on this planet. Sure there were powers of destruction in some, but Sharmin could go rewrite things in history if she felt like it. So many different things Sharmin could do if she wanted, even change what happened to her outside of Oren. Curiosity and anger surged through Komugi with this memory; why didn't she go back and change that, of all things?

"There is a price for using such powers carelessly, your sister senses this. She will not only alter history, but change the present as well." The voice of Eva came, reading Komugi's thoughts. She spun around to face the water goddess, who now stood behind her. Komugi took a step back and glared at the goddess, still not trusting her despite the help she'd given with bringing Zaken out of his curse. Eva regarded this visible action with raised eyebrows, but her expression remained emotionless.

"What do you want with me Eva? Our deal wasn't until I died, remember?" Komugi said darkly, pressing her back against the rough rock wall. Eva's face suddenly twitched in an almost nightmarish way, shifting as if she were transforming into someone else. She stepped towards Komugi as the twitching began to slow, and the young Prophet realized that Eva was shrinking with each tiny step until she was no taller than herself.

"Oh I am so excited for that day! We'll have so much fun being companions!" the younger, sweet-faced Eva said, her eyes sparkling. She reached out to take Komugi's hands in hers, and Komugi jerked them away as if Eva's hands stung. A look akin to a child getting its favorite doll stolen passed Eva's face and her eyes welled with tears. "You hate me?" she asked, her voice rich with sadness.

"I can't say I'm fond of you." Komugi responded, not fazed by Eva's expression. Eva began to sob then, great heaving sobs that she lifted her hands to hide.

"And after I hurt myself for you! You great big bully, you hate me!" Eva wept, covering her face with her hands. Komugi watched her without pity, not moved to apologize as she felt this Eva was trying to get her to do.

"So sorry, I didn't know you were made of glass." Komugi said flatly, lowering her eyelids in a look of annoyance. Eva lowered her hands to glare, offended by Komugi's choice of words. All traces of the hurt she'd been displaying had faded into the glare, and she clenched her hands into fists where they were still poised in the air in front of her face.

"He'll get that sword one day you know; his soul still has so much hatred. Not even YOU can make it disappear. He'll get that sword and go back to being what he was." Eva spat bitterly like a spoiled child. Komugi shifted, forcing her face to remain calm despite the bite Eva's words held. It had taken a few days for Zaken to recover after being faced with the demonic sword that Shana had been wielding. It was as if the blade held a part of his soul, even though he'd never touched it before.

"I don't doubt that there are just some things I can't heal, I am only sixteen after all." Komugi responded tartly, leaning her head back enough to glance at Eva through heavy eyelids. "However…I know of someone else who is more likely to wield that sword one day…" Eva lowered her hands fully with this, and tilted her head curiously, trying to prompt Komugi to continue.

Indeed there was someone who held more darkness than anyone else in the group right now, someone a bloodthirsty sword like that would love being mastered by. Within the throne room of the Devastated Castle, Vlad sat against the wall dozing with his hands loosely gripping his swords.

"I must tell mother, she will know what to do." Eva said innocently, her eyes echoing her tone of voice. With that she disappeared in a spout of melodic water, leaving Komugi staring in confusion at the fast-drying puddle that remained in her wake. She wasn't sure what Eva was trying to tell her by warning her of the Zariche, but she was certain she wasn't going to like the outcome.

Lavinia pushed her way through the crowd of troops that thundered through the Devastated Castle, excusing herself as they bumped into her, sometimes shoving her roughly against the wall. She burst into a darkened circular room at the end of the hall, the only light illuminating it being the bloody red moonlight shining in from the destroyed ceiling. It had once been a divining room, the remains of an old pedestal in the center the only clue of the room's previous use.

Oonugh lifted his head quickly as she stood in the doorway, panting from exertion. He'd perched himself upon the broken pedestal to meditate, his hands folded peacefully in his lap. Lavinia struggled to catch her breath as her eyes gazed over him, her throat seizing with emotion at seeing him in his true form, watching her patiently as if he had been waiting for her to find him.

The red moonlight gleamed off of the polished surface of the set of armor he'd been given to wear. Large, spiked shoulder guards sat on his shoulders at an almost haphazard angle; his shoulders were no longer as wide as they had once been. His height standing had seemed the same as before, but he was definitely smaller in build than even Broud now, and Broud was still young by Orc standards. It was as if the tears that Paagrio had taken from her lent Oonugh some Light Elf genetics.

His dark brown hair was once again bound tightly in the dreadlocks she'd only read a description of in Synshlee's journal, and pulled into his classic high ponytail that reminded Lavinia of Sprissa. His skin, a pale green the last she'd seen him, was now a bronze color, as if he'd been hammered from the metal itself. The most striking feature that made her heart beat quicker was his eyes; before she'd only been able to see one, the other had been hidden behind a mask the Giants had grafted to his skin to protect the dissection they'd left him in from becoming infected. Now both grey orbs watched her patiently, no emotion given away in their smoky depths.

"I am ashamed." Oonugh stated, halting her mid-step towards him. He looked down at his hands which were still laced together in his lap. Lavinia's lips parted slightly and she tilted her head at him, confused.

"W…why are you ashamed?" she asked in a hushed voice, giddy to be speaking with him once more. Oonugh sighed heavily, the movement causing one of the shoulder guards to slip farther off of his shoulder.

"I have robbed you of your pet." He said sadly. Lavinia's eyes widened in disbelief as he lowered his head, his entire body conveying his guilt. She clamped her jaw shut as a burst of laughter tried to leave her body, the resulting noise a loud snort. Relief flooded her senses despite her amusement at his words, and she covered the space between them quickly.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Lavinia said, tightly hugging him around his neck. He froze, his eyes wide at her open show of affection, and then slowly raised his hands to hug her back. Tears of joy sprung to Lavinia's eyes as she felt his hands touch her, and she sniffled as she raised a hand to stroke the back of his head. She pulled away from him enough to glance into his eyes, the air between them changing from joy and nervousness into one of anticipation.

"Let's leave them be for awhile, our reunion can wait." Sprissa whispered to Broud in the shadows of the doorway as the pair's faces slowly came together in a tentative kiss. With a smile she pushed her brother from the doorway and back down the hall. "I'll retrieve you later." She whispered to him as she paused in front of the room he shared two other Orcs. Broud caught her arm as she moved to continue onward to her room, and she blinked at him curiously.

"I…" he began, and then stopped, his face red. Sprissa's eyebrow twitched slightly as he glanced away from her and shifted in boyish embarrassment. He lowered his head enough so that the hair that fell over his forehead helped shield his eyes from view. Broud's hair, a lighter brown in color from her own, was oddly soft for an Orc, and he'd become comfortable to having it in a very human-like hairstyle that left pieces of it dangling over his forehead to his eyebrows. It was youthful, and oddly complimented his features well.

"What is it?" she questioned, concerned that something was amiss by his reaction. Without moving his head he glanced at her from the tops of his eyes, a questioning look that she'd only seen once before on Ryonai's face before he'd asked to kiss her the first time. She blushed under it, but it was hidden under the veil that was still in place over her face. It was not a look that a brother should be giving his sister half or not, she knew. Broud lifted a hand to cup her cheek underneath her veil, and Sprissa's eyes widened at the boldness of his gesture.

"I am alone in this room tonight…won't you stay with me?" Broud asked in a hushed voice. He gazed into Sprissa's green-grey eyes beseechingly, searching them for her answer. Sprissa's lips parted slightly beneath the veil, and as if sensing it, Broud's thumb ran across her lower lip. She turned her face away from him as he tried to step in closer to her, avoiding him.

"Broud, we share the blood of a parent." Sprissa said in a soft voice, placing a hand on his chest as she gazed at the floor over her shoulder. Broud frowned slightly and shifted his hand so that it was under her chin and forced her to face him again.

"We are as strangers." Broud said seriously, frowning as his eyes bored into hers. He'd picked up Sprissa's eloquent speech patterns in the time they'd been traveling together, but it would always be strange to Sprissa to hear him speak them when she still had such clear memories of his rough Ketra accent.

Shaking her head she lifted her hands and pushed the hand that held her face away. "I feared it'd come to this." She murmured, looking away from him again. "I helped you during the rites because you suffered, my brother, but our blood knows one another. We are siblings and we will remain as such." She did not look at him as a pained look crossed his face with her rejection. During the rites of completion that he suffered through, she'd used her mouth to give him the relief of release that he needed, an act that she'd hoped he would've forgotten.

"You deceiving seductress of Dark Elf blood." Broud growled. Sprissa turned away from him, knowing that he would turn his hurt into hate which would eventually lash out at her if she did not end the conversation now.

"Good night, Broud, please rest as the battle will return quicker than we'd like." Sprissa said without emotion, moving down the hallway. She jumped slightly at the sound of him punching the stone wall, but did not stop walking until she was safely in the room she shared with Lavinia and Kallina. She shut the door quietly and then leaned against as she pulled off her veil. The expression that her face revealed was one of yearning and sadness. Her chest rose and fell as if she'd become breathless, and she shut her eyes as tears threatened to fall. This was not what she expected when she was granted the vision of Broud from the Great Flame years before. She knew in her heart and soul that it was not right this way…but she still couldn't help how she felt in the end.

"Such a sinful creature I am." she said quietly, her voice cracking. She slid to crouch and covered her eyes with the heels of her palms, trying to deny herself the privilege of crying over something so taboo. It _must_ be this way; it _had_ to be.

Far away from the Devastated Castle, Synshlee gazed out of the window of Sayha's citadel, one hand over her chest. A look of gentle happiness graced her otherwise stone cold face, and she sighed deeply. Behind her, Sayha laid stretched out upon a slab of rock engraved with runes that were smoldering with an inner, magical fire. He was trying to break the seal on something far away without attracting the attention of his siblings or parents, and could not be disturbed.

"You have returned, my love." Synshlee whispered to the night sky, the phantom emotion of hope filling her spectral form. She shut her eyes and breathed deeply, wishing she still had lungs to take in the fresh air around Sayha's home, and then let that breath out slowly. Finally, finally she would see Oonugh again…and she would make it so they'd never be separated from thereafter.


	28. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

_In which a ball is announced and Eva finds comfort. _

Deep within the Imperial Tomb, Scarlet Von Halisha stood in a tiny room connected to the grand cathedral room in which Frintezza's organ stood. She stared hard at the great golden sword lying upon an altar made to please it, trying to make it disappear with her thoughts of hatred. The thing was alive, she realized in horror one day while trying to dispose of it. It was as alive as the Zariche, perhaps even more so with how it didn't seem to desire blood like the demonic sword did. It simply wanted destruction, even if the destruction came without it ever taken to arms. This mere fact disturbed Scarlet, for as a creature of selfish chaos, she couldn't fathom wanting destruction that you did not cause.

"Dissolve." She told it darkly; power flaring around her as she tried to will it away.

"No." the sword said simply in a voice that could not be heard by mortals. "I wait."

"You await nothing, you are merely a tool, and a tool's life is limited." Scarlet growled. If it could've had a human form, the sword might've shifted nonchalantly at this, with how its aura moved.

"No, am forever. The organic life is limited." The sword responded. Her temper ignited, for how dare a hunk of metal tell her that she, a demon thousands of years old, was mortal beneath it all? With a snarl she reached for the weapon, intent on destroying it with her dark power, when the sound of Frintezza clearing his throat caused her to jump away from it.

"Now now Scarlet, if you're that jealous of the sword I can spend a few days lavishing you with my love." Frintezza said smoothly in a voice bubbling with too much laughter to be taken seriously.

"I…I wasn't…" Scarlet faltered, trying to suppress her temper and find an excuse for her being in the room at the same time. She had been ordered to never enter the room without Frintezza's permission, and breaking any of his orders resulted in punishments that threatened even her sanity.

"Organic life believes it can destroy me." The sword tattled in a haughty tone. Scarlet hissed through her teeth and glared over her shoulder at it. Frintezza clucked his tongue in a condescending way and moved to stand in front of her with a graceful stride. He put a finger under Scarlet's chin to force her to look at him. Her eyes twitched slightly as she gazed into his eyes, and she cursed herself silently for being afraid that he'd strike her. She was so much more powerful than he, she asked herself many times what made her so afraid of him. Perhaps it was the insanity that had settled within him, or the knowledge that, if he died, so would she.

"Normally Scarlet, you know I would punish you for disobeying me." Frintezza said in a mock-gentle voice. She looked away from him angrily as he caressed her face in a loving manner. He grabbed her chin roughly and forced her to look at him again, earning a small noise of pain from her this time. He stared into her eyes intensely for several heartbeats, as if in prelude to hurting her. "However, I have more urgent matters I need you to take care of for me." He finally said, standing straight and patting her cheek lightly. He gracefully spun on heel and retraced his steps back into the grand cathedral with Scarlet following dutifully behind.

"What do you need of me now?" she asked in a sullen voice, watching his feet as he walked. Many methods of torture that were used in Gran Kain's realm just to the feet alone raced through her head, and she smirked as she imagined applying those to him. The smirk left her face in a hurry as he whipped around without warning, his rope-like hair almost hitting her as it swung around with his body. He giggled breathlessly, suddenly excited, and held his arms out as if welcoming her.

"Call your friends, your family, and your loved ones! Tell them to don their finest clothes, their most elegant jewels!" he said loudly, his voice echoing off of the ceiling high above them. Scarlet frowned as he began to hum and twirled lightly in dance with his arms still outstretched.

"You do not know of what you ask, the Lords of hell will not come just because you wish to look at them." Scarlet said bitterly as he began to waltz. In truth, the demons would laugh at her if she approached them for one of Frintezza's insane requests. She was a laughingstock of the demon world, having been foolishly trapped by a mortal. Frintezza stopped dancing in the center of the cathedral with her words and returned to her side with a smile.

"Oh, but they will want to come for this." Frintezza said with an arrogance that made Scarlet clench her teeth in anger. He wiped his hand across the air as if showcasing a sign. "After all, it's only once even in a demons immortal lifetime that they get to see the beginning of the end of the gods."

"The Seal of Gnosis has broken." The older Eva said to the younger within the goddess' mind. The younger Eva hummed merrily to herself and brushed the hair of a doll she had fashioned to look like Komugi. "Are you listening to me? The Seal of Gnosis is broken!" Eva shouted, pulling the doll from her younger self and flinging it away. The younger Eva stared after it with tears welling in her eyes before bursting out with a loud, childish wail. "Don't you even care?" she asked herself angrily.

"No, I don't!" the younger Eva shouted, standing up to stamp her feet in a tantrum. "That big ungrateful bully rejected me, he deserved what he got!" she folded her arms across her chest and pouted as the older Eva looked at her in shock. She put a hand to her chest as the younger Eva retrieved her doll and began to play with it again. Had she given Ballard his powers not out of her love for him but out of spite for his rejection of her?

"All will fall, one by one." The younger Eva sang, caressing her doll's hair. "Soon Shilen will return and I can go back to playing the music again." She looked up at her older personification with shining eyes. "Oh won't it be grand for time to return to what it was when Shilen returns? I'm so excited!" She giggled to herself and hugged her doll to her chest. "Just as I'm so excited that you found me a playmate! I can't wait until she dies…oh; can I help her along just a little? I'm so impatient!"

"Shilen's return won't make things go back to how they once were." The older Eva stated, looking down at her younger self with a frown. The younger Eva froze in the act of petting her doll, but did not look up. "Shilen will kill everyone who scorned her, you know that."

"She won't kill me, I didn't scorn her." The younger Eva said stubbornly, squeezing her doll between her hands. The older Eva knelt to stare at herself in the eye. She couldn't remember what fractured her mind to what it was now. Which one of them was the real Eva? She often wondered this, and could never find an answer. She was not scared of not being the real Eva, for if it were so, there would be nothing she could do except fade into the consciousness of the child before her. The younger Eva however, was terrified of not being the real one. To bring it up was the easiest method to regain control of the body they shared, as the younger would retreat in fear.

"The Seal of Gnosis is broken." Eva repeated slowly, watching her younger self's face. Eva's content expression faded with the other's words, and slowly a look of mournful grief overtook her. She began to cry in earnest, letting out deep heart wrenching sobs, and covered her face with her hands. For an instant both personifications were one person, and alone within herself.

"I loved him so much." This new Eva sobbed, the grief over Ballard's death finally hitting her. "Why didn't he let me love him? I could've spared him from this…I could've kept him by my side forever… Hey…tell me…" she turned to look at the older self she still felt was standing there, but found that she was alone.

Of course she was alone…she realized. That's why she created the big sister version of herself within her mind. She was all alone, abandoned by everyone because she abandoned her post when Einhasad forced her to be a goddess…abandoned by everyone whom once worshipped Shilen when she accepted her post. No one was happy with her music anymore, the one thing that used to calm souls everywhere. No one would answer the questions she had saying she was a goddess now and should know it all.

"The answers to your questions will come in time, just be patient with yourself." The memory of Ballard told her with a smile. He'd found her crying in the Field of Whispers, where she'd flown after a party of mortals had interrupted her vacation in her Garden to try and kill her cat butler. That was the moment she'd fallen for him, the only being to ever give her words of encouragement and comfort and a smile of pride.

She'd revealed her true self then, her fractured mind made whole by him, and pursued him to be her lover. He'd given her a kiss, a shy kiss that children give one another when they like the other, but regretfully declined her affections. He'd long since received the Seal of Gnosis from the previous seal keeper, and told her that responding to her affection would compromise his duty of protecting it. He also gently admitted to being in love with another, the woman he eventually married.

At first Eva had been scorned, and in her scorn her mind fractured again. The younger self began to throw a tantrum, causing much turmoil upon the sea for seven days and nights, the tide rising and covering much of the Field of Silence. On the seventh night she appeared to him again as he waded across the Field of Silence en route to Giran, and angrily insisted that he become her lover. Again he gently rejected her, and thanked her for the honor of her attraction. The older self took control as Ballard flinched under the fury of the younger, and Eva was finally able to accept his decision. The waters receded, and as a parting gift she bestowed him with the foresight thinking it would keep him safe as the guardian of the Seal. She never knew she'd been playing into Shilen's game all along, but once she realized it, it was much too late to retract the gift.

"I don't want to be alone." She cried now, and broke down into a fresh set of tears. She felt the presence of the older personality return, and embrace her lovingly. Content now, she let herself be rocked and shushed, and cried until her grief was sated. It was not her fault that Ballard was dead she knew, but she couldn't help but feeling as if it was.

"I suppose my future servant wasn't the best person to try to confide in about my grief." The older Eva murmured, staring off into space. She had tried to make small talk with Komugi, to find a chance to open up to someone who might know the grief she held. It had backfired, Komugi's unwillingness to talk apparent with her retorts. It made the younger self sadder that Komugi hated her, even though she meant no harm. Eva was possibly the most peaceful, the most loving of mortals out of all of the gods. It was hard to gauge, the older self knew, when she acted so willingly to hurt others on her mother's behalf. She just wanted her mother to comfort her in the end…was that so wrong?

In reality, the older Eva, being the dominant personality lifted her head at the sound of sobbing. She had returned to the Elven Forest to watch as Ballard's ashes were scattered upon Iris Lake, the lake created from her tears. She turned where she sat to glance over her shoulder, pushing her hair from her face as she glanced behind her. A young elf boy no more than three or four with silvery blonde hair stood behind her, tears streaking his face as he watched her. Her lips parted slightly and she tilted her head as it occurred to her that he was the spitting image of Ballard, only in younger form.

"Why everyone cry?" he asked in his fractured child speak. Eva glanced around herself curiously, wondering if he was really speaking to her or himself, as she was certain she'd made herself invisible to mortal eyes. "Dun want crying no more." He sniffled, lowering his head to scrub at his eyes.

"You can see me?" Eva asked in a hushed voice, ducking her head down slightly as if afraid someone would hear her. Her mind was repairing itself despite her best efforts to keep it split into two, and her heart began to pound as his eyes, deep emerald green like the Mother Tree's leaves had once been, looked into hers as he nodded. A tiny smile graced the edges of her mouth as she memorized the details of his face, overjoyed beyond belief to see this tiny version of Ballard in front of her.

"Are you a fairy?" the boy asked, staring back into her eyes. A tiny bit of fear was hidden there, and Eva chuckled at it.

"I'm the Queen of the fairies." Eva said in a proud voice, knowing that his mind was too young to comprehend her true self. She sat up straight and dignified as his mouth dropped open in awe. "Come here little one, I shall make the crying go away." Eva said tenderly, holding her arms out to him. The boy hesitated, the pull of being close to his goddess urging him to fall into her arms while the logic of staying away from strangers that his parents scolded into him warring with one another. The pull won, and he fell onto her, and wrapped his little arms around her neck to cry some more. Eva rocked him as the older self had rocked the younger in her mind, and petted his hair gently. "What is your name?" she whispered as she comforted him.

"Waverly." The boy answered with a hiccup. "If you're fairly queen, can you make grampa come back?" he asked with a tiny sob. "Mommy still crying cuz he went to sleep." A pang of sadness hit Eva and she swallowed the urge to return to tears. So he was of Ballard's family, no wonder he resembled him.

"I wish I could." She murmured, hugging him. Waverly clung to Eva for a few moments longer, then pushed away to sniffle and wipe his face again.

"Can you make trees go 'way then?" he asked, an almost laughable dark look upon his face. He couldn't pull off a look of hatred, even though he was obviously serious about his request. Eva laughed out loud, her laughter ringing off of the waves of the lake, and bringing unexplainable, immediate joy to those gathered along the banks for Ballard's funeral.

"That I cannot do either." She said, patting his cheek. Waverly frowned at her and stuck his lower lip out. "I'll tell you what, if you remember when you're able to travel the forest alone, at the start of every season come out here to the lake, and I'll visit with you and tell you tales of the world." Waverly's face brightened with this, as he loved hearing stories, especially ones without trees in them. He nodded vigorously in agreement, and plopped down in front of Eva, thinking she meant to tell him a story now.

"Waverly!" Cesa called, approaching him. Dutifully, Waverly pushed himself back to his feet and toddled back to his mother as fast as his short legs could carry him. He didn't look behind and say goodbye to Eva, as such was the way of children. Eva watched with a wistful smile as Cesa picked her boy up and walked back to the Gazebo overlooking the lake with him. Without a word of farewell from her even, a waterspout erupted around her, taking her back to her realm.

Meanwhile, far north of the Elven Forest, within the Devastated Castle, Vlad walked quickly through the hallways. He'd pause at doors and open them to peek inside, sometimes wincing and covering his face with what he'd see, and then move on. He entered the throne room at a brisk walk; Ryonai crouched over a map of Aden Territory, making battle strategy with the leaders of the two sets of warriors that had just arrived.

"It's about time you got here." Ryonai stated in irritation, moving a set of stones representing one force across the map to plan out their line of battle. Vlad scanned the dimly lit throne room with a frown, ignoring his leader's bitter comment.

"Have you seen Amari?" he asked. Ryonai lifted his head slowly, an unexplainable feeling of dread settling into his chest.

"I caught sight of him slipping out of the castle during the confusion earlier." Alucard spoke up from where he sat on the floor, repairing his armor.

"Uh oh." Vlad said, as Ryonai's face slowly melted into a look of horrified anger. Abandoning his friends and clan was not like Amari, but Vlad too couldn't help but feel that he'd left for reasons not beneficial to the victory of Aden during this battle. "I'm on it, I'll find him." Vlad said, raising his hands as Ryonai opened his mouth. He turned on heel and quickly walked from the throne room as the other troop leaders began to bombard him with questions. "I would hope you have a good reason for this, dear brother of mine..." Vlad said bitterly as he began to fasten together the armor he'd thrown on clumsily. "…A damn good reason."


	29. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

_The moment of happiness's passing_

While Vlad searched the area surrounding Devastated Castle for his brother, far north in Goddard Territory, the next force being sent to Aden had gathered. Standing amongst them, wearing an arm band tying her to Elmore, was Mune. She stared off into space without expression, her face devoid of all emotions. She'd been stuck in a perpetual state of reminiscing, only seeing memories of her past with Ballard and half seeing the world around her. Someone had seen her with swords outside of Goddard and automatically assumed she was there to fight and had shoved her into a unit. Now she stood, not hearing the commander has he barked orders to the fighters around her, and not feeling anything as she was shoved when those around her cheered in response to their leader.

"Excuse me…sorry. Please pardon me…" a familiarly accented voice came. Mune's ears perked at the sound of it and she woodenly turned her head towards it. Beaming brightly as if his face would break from it, Evzen pushed his way towards her. He had shed his elegant nobility clothing and now wore a white coat decorated with purple latticework, fluffy feathers decorating the collar of it. He wore leather pants outfitted with bits of metal that would protect his more vital areas underneath that. It was the Dark Elf version of the Avadon robes that Cesa wore, a set Mune had often snickered at for looking so outlandishly girly on a man. It startled her back into reality to see it coming at her on the body of someone she knew.

The pair stared at one another for several heartbeats, and Evzen finally broke the silence between them by reaching out to place a hand on her cheek and then move close to kiss her. This moment was broken as Mune let out an explosive snort and turned away with her shoulders scrunched up as she tried to keep her laughter contained. Evzen frowned slightly and tilted his head, stung that she'd rejected his kiss in such a way. She put a hand on his shoulder to keep herself from collapsing, her stomach cramping up with her laughter. Evzen glanced around himself with a grimace, embarrassed by the looks they were receiving for her display.

"Mune, they'll think you're mad." He murmured, putting a hand on her arm to help her stand straight up again. Tears streamed from Mune's eyes as she laughed, her soul breaking through the veil of grief that had been over her. It hurt as well as healed, and she wasn't going to try and stop herself.

"Why are you wearing that?" she finally managed to ask between giggles. Evzen raised an eyebrow at her question and glanced at the sleeves of his coat.

"What's wrong with it? Many distinguished people wear these robes." He said, stung by her words and the mirth in her voice.

"I'll answer for the lady, you look bleeding gay, feller." A grizzled man holding a spear said from next to Mune. He glanced at the faces around him before leaning in close. "Unless you are gay, then I'm sorry for insulting your lifestyle, feller." Evzen froze and glanced at the faces around him, afraid that others thought the same. He found several people smirking at him, but a surprising number of men winking and wearing expressions of appreciation.

"Forgive me Mune." Evzen murmured in a strained voice before grabbing her by her cheeks and pressing their faces together. Her laughter died immediately and her eyes widened as their lips met. She'd forgotten that they'd kissed once already, and this action froze her to the core. But if it were frozen with hatred or something else, Mune couldn't tell in that moment. It did the trick however, and the winkers faces drooped in disappointment.

"Company, move out!" the commander called.

"Alright love birds, either take it to the city or get moving if you're coming along for the fight." The grizzled man said, patting Mune roughly between the metal wings on her back. They broke apart with a soft gasp for breath, and Mune began marching with the group, her cheeks pink.

"What are you doing here?" Mune asked, not looking at him. She curiously wondered how she got placed in a unit heading for battle, and tried to recall the past few days. She shrugged and let it slide as this was the perfect chance for her to return to Aden.

"I was coming after you. Your brother asked me to make sure you didn't get into trouble." Evzen said with pride, happy that he'd been entrusted with her. Mune frowned greatly at this, and glared into the sky.

"I can take care of myself, Calisan." She grumbled, imagining her brother's face smirking at her from the clouds. She glanced at Evzen again. "But seriously, why are you here? You know we're heading right into the heart of war. Aren't you supposed to be getting married right about now or something?" Mune turned to face him fully, her eyes large. "You'd better not have run away, I'm not taking you back a second time. I will NOT go back to that city ever again."

Evzen chuckled to himself and glanced down at his hands, which clutched a simple wooden staff topped with a beautiful blue gem. "I called it off." He said sheepishly, his cheeks reddening slightly. Mune tripped over her feet with this, and stumbled into the back of the man in front of her. After flashing him an apologetic smile, she turned a gaze of horror onto Evzen.

"What do you mean you called it off? Why? I thought you were going to get your family back into favor with that wedding! What will they do now?" she hissed. Evzen sighed and gazed into the sky, looking the most unburdened that Mune had ever seen him.

"It didn't matter in the end. What's nobility these days anyway? It means nothing unless you command forces in battle." He said sadly, glancing at her. "One day I'll get Schuttgart Castle back for my family, but in my own way, on my own terms." Mune's cheeks turned pink at this show of subtle manliness that she'd never seen within him before. In her mind, Evzen had been a weak man, the type of weakness she used to bully growing up. It occurred to her now, in an almost humiliating epiphany, that he'd always been stronger than her; she'd just never seen it before.

"I…wish you luck with that." Mune said quickly, glancing away from him again. He looked at her as she began to gaze at her surroundings nervously, and grinned. He wouldn't say it for fear of violent retaliation, but she was so damn cute when she was feeling nervous; even more so when she was trying so hard to hide it.

Deep within the place Shilen had given her, far away from the war, Shizuka stretched out across a bed covered in creamy white sheets. She just had the best dream, and woke in a good mood. The gentle sound of a waterfall splashing into a pool sounded through the darkened room, and the pattern of light on water played across her walls. This home was close to the Abyss, and Shilen had made it for Shizuka for one express purpose.

Shizuka sat up quickly as she felt a presence enter her room, the wide filmy skirt of her muted yellow nightdress shifting around her. It was more like a robe than a dress, with the way it belted high on her waist and left her nearly bare from the waist down. One of its thin shoulder straps fell from its spot on her shoulder to drape seductively on her bicep as she grinned at the new person in her room.

"Come." She said enticingly, holding her arms out. From the shadows emerged the one whom Vlad had been searching for; Amari. His eyes appeared lifeless as he knelt upon the bed to allow Shizuka to embrace him. She kissed him lovingly in the way a lover would, and drew him over her as she laid back down. He held himself up, one hand on either side of her shoulders as she continued to kiss him, only half responding to her. She pulled away from him with a pout as she realized he wasn't enjoying her kiss.

"You don't like me." She stated with an even bigger pout. She draped her arms casually over his shoulders and played with the ends of his red hair as he glanced away from her.

"On the contrary, I like you as much as I am able to like the ex-girlfriend of my clan leader." Amari said bitterly as Shizuka drew him to lie next to her. Shilen had appeared to him after arriving in this place and told him what she needed of him. He had to merely be loyal to Shilen and do one simple task for her to get Ilyra back, but he was finding the task was harder to muster up the desire to do, despite the simplicity of it.

"Hmm…" Shizuka thought aloud as she snuggled against Amari's chest. The familiarity of her actions disturbed him, but yet he found he lacked the strength of will to push her away. "What can we do to make mother's favorite mortal happy…" she began, rolling over to lie on top of him. She placed her hands on his chest and rested her chin upon the backs of those as she gazed into his eyes playfully. Amari cleared his throat as his Dark Elf libido began to hum merrily at her closeness. Sensing it, Shizuka slid herself up along his body to lick his face from his chin to the tip of his nose with the end of her tongue before resettling herself. "Oh, I know!" she exclaimed, pushing herself up until she straddled his waist. Amari winced, his heart still not into being Shizuka's current plaything, but his body definitely eager for the job. "Why don't we get Amari a present?"

"What kind of present?" he asked, still wincing. Shizuka rocked slightly on his torso, obviously pleased with the reaction she was getting and turning it into a form of quiet torture.

"That will be a surprise." She said seductively, leaning down to kiss him again.

In the shadows, Terebel sat slumped against the wall, the blood swords still in his hands, his eyes blank and staring. A dark voice that was not connected to the swords he held spoke within his mind, urging him to do dark things. He wanted to go outside and gorge himself upon the blood of the living, to dance among their corpses. He wanted to destroy and kill until there was nothing left of the world but him and his weapons. He knew the only peace he'd ever find would be when nothing was left of the gods and their creations, just him and the deafening silence of nothingness. Narlafayn's face flashed through his mind and his body jerked from the shocks it sent through him.

"Her…she has what I want." The dark voice growled in his mind. "Take it from her, take her and rip it from her body." A dark grin forming on his face, Terebel pushed himself to his feet, never once releasing the swords he held.

Gran Kain's original plan for the swords was the flush out the destroyer, the one of his blood. The twins had placed protections upon Terebel under the guise of testing him with Giant's technology. All of the twisted torturous things he could barely recall were all efforts made by them to protect him from their father. Shilen had bastardized the weapons after their creation for the purpose of empowering the destroyer, and awakening the hammer within Narlafayn to distract the other gods while Shizuka went to work. She had been pleased that Shizuka had managed to retrieve him before her siblings were able to.

"Where are you going?" Lindvior asked as Terebel wandered through the hallways of Shizuka's home.

"Hunting." Terebel said in a dark voice, grinning as he passed the disguised dragon. Lindvior regarded him without expression, wondering if he should restrain Terebel. Finding himself just as unenthusiastic about Shilen's plans as Antharas, Lindvior turned away as Terebel slipped from Shizuka's home, and returned to the book he'd stolen from the mortal world.

"Gods damn it!" Ryonai shouted, throwing a broken table across his chambers as hard as he could. It crashed against the wall and broke into pieces as Vuylay opened the door into his room. She winced as he began to launch pieces of broken wall after it, and shut the door slightly as he aimed a rock in her direction unintentionally. "What do you want?" he stated more than asked as he returned to heaving rocks away from her.

"They've kind of elected you as king I think, they don't want to head out without your order." Vuylay said in a quiet voice, stung by his tone. He'd been downright cruel to her since Aden, barely speaking to her unless it was to reprimand her for something she hadn't done properly. He ignored her and continued to throw rocks against the wall. Finally having enough, Vuylay entered his room boldly and grabbed the rock from his hand. "Why are you being like this?" she demanded, holding the rock out of his reach as he tried to retrieve it. "You're acting like a five year old who didn't get the pony he wanted for his birthday."

"Don't reprimand me Vuylay; I'm not in the mood for your mothering." Ryonai snapped, reaching for the rock again. "Give that back to me." He demanded, holding out his hand. Giving him an icy look, Vuylay turned and launched it across the room where it smacked into an unlit oil lamp set in a nook, shattering it. Ryonai's mouth dropped open as the lamp was a family heirloom he carried with him always, one of the only things left to his family after they became poor on Talking Island.

"What have you done?" he cried, racing over to the lamp and cradling the shattered pieces gingerly. Oil ran down the wall in rivets, pooling where the floor and wall met. "This can't be replaced!" A pang of guilt hit Vuylay in her stomach, but she met his hateful gaze without emotion. Ryonai did exactly what she predicted he'd do; he turned his anger onto her. "This can't be replaced you bitch!" he snarled, standing and advancing towards her. She tried to jerk her hands away from him as he grabbed her wrists, resulting in a struggle between the pair as he tried to take his anger out on her and she tried to deflect him. It ended against the wall where he'd been grabbing rocks from, where he slammed her roughly against the broken masonry. She let out a yelp of pain, but quickly regained her composure to glare defiantly at him.

"Are you listening to me now or are you going to continue to treat me like I had something to do with the faults of the world?" Vuylay asked coldly, glaring at him. Ryonai growled in his throat and slammed her wrists against the wall, further pinning her there. He pressed in close as if to kiss her, but did not.

"You have no room to talk to me like you're the victim. You let Shizuka disappear." Ryonai said darkly. Vuylay's eyes widened and she looked at him in hurt shock.

"I had nothing to do with her disappearance." Vuylay said with a sob as tears welled in her eyes.

"Then why can't you find her? Didn't you tell me that you could feel her emotions? Why haven't you felt them? Are you telling me she's dead?" Ryonai demanded all at once, squeezing her wrists tighter.

"You're hurting me." Vuylay said with a wince as he pressed her harder against the wall.

"Why haven't you felt her emotions, Vuylay? Why can't you track her? Did you LIE to me about being connected to her to get yourself into my bed?" he demanded. Vuylay's eyes snapped open again and she stared at him in horror. Surely he didn't truly believe she would lie to him…?

The sound of a throat clearing came from behind Ryonai, and he turned to glance over his shoulder. Zaren stood in the doorway fully dressed for battle, and glancing away from the pair in embarrassment. "The leaders of the other units would like your presence for last minute battle planning before they head out, sir. The scouts have returned with the exact numbers of the Elmorean forces that are advancing." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Plus I would rather you didn't hurt a lady, sir despite whatever reasons you have. I don't really want to pick a fight with you."

Ryonai's head snapped back around and he stared at Vuylay as if seeing her for the first time. Tears ran from her eyes as she cried from both fear of Ryonai's temper and the pain he was causing her emotionally and physically. He released her in a hurry, ashamed of himself. His father had always had a bad temper and sometimes he'd witnessed him striking his mother or elder sister. It shocked and shamed him to realize he had become just like him in that moment.

"Tell them I'll be there in a moment." Ryonai said, his voice hoarse. He ran a hand over his face as if waking himself up from a bad dream.

"Will do sir." Zaren said, but didn't move from where he stood. Ryonai glanced at him as he stared patiently and frowned. He made a shooing motion with his hand, and Zaren shut his eyes in a blatant disregard of it. "With all due respect sir, I don't think I want to trust you alone with Vuylay right now. I'm waiting for her to compose herself to come with me."

Ryonai's temper flared for a second time and he opened his mouth to angrily argue Zaren's accusation, but stopped himself before any sound emerged. He sighed and sat down heavily on the edge of his bed. "Yes, you're right. Thank you Zaren." Ryonai said, defeated.

"Anytime sir." Zaren said, entering the room to gently take Vuylay by the shoulders and lead her out. He paused in the doorway to glance over his shoulder at Ryonai one last time. "And sir...I think you should turn over command to someone else for a little while and get some rest. You haven't slept properly since you gained Innadril Castle, and it's beginning to show." Ryonai nodded despite wanting to shout in argument to Zaren. It pained his pride to admit the Dark Elf was right, but he knew he was. Without another word Zaren led Vuylay away from Ryonai's chambers and down the hall.

"What have I been doing?" Ryonai asked himself, tears he didn't expect welling in his throat and tightening it to a painful degree. Vuylay had nothing to do with Shizuka going missing; she had been with him when Shizuka left. Had she gone of her own will? Was she secretly angry for his including Vuylay?

"She left because you were not what she needed to find." A female voice said. Ryonai glanced behind him in a hurry to find a woman with long, curly hair that glowed as if made from light standing behind him. She was nude, and her eyes were slit like a reptile. He opened his mouth to respond to her when she gasped as if scared and glanced to the patch of sky showing through the broken ceiling of his room. There was a flash of light that Ryonai had to shield himself from, and when it faded, the woman was gone. He glanced around his room in shock, and then put a hand to his head as he began to fear exhaustion was making him delusional. A shadow passed over the hole in the ceiling and he glanced up in time to see what looked like the tail of a white dragon swaying as it passed view.

"I…think I need to go." He decided, his eyes large. "Yes…definitely need to get going." With a renewed spring in his step he left his quarters, suddenly eager to be out in the air, even if it meant he was going into battle.

"Lord Innadril sir, they're only sending in one unit from Elmore, and they'll reach rendezvous point within the hour." A Hawkeye reported as Ryonai emerged from the castle into the inner courtyard. It was a flurry of activity as soldiers prepared for battle, the clatter of armor and weapons almost deafening. Ryonai wasn't certain where or how he became the mastermind behind the entire battle, but he wasn't complaining.

"How big is the one unit?" Ryonai asked as a squire hurried back and forth to assemble his armor to his body as he walked. He still had to wear his damaged red and black armor, but a merchant had been sent back to Aden to re-supply with weapons and armor for those overly damaged. Ryonai just had to protect his new Achilles heel until the merchant returned.

"As big as a unit and a half of ours, sir." The Hawkeye said, unable to keep the smile off of his face.

"Excellent, we've got the numbers." Ryonai said, smiling in return.

"Your first unit lacks defensive power, Ryonai." The leader of the second force called as he and the third force leader poured over their battle plans from across the courtyard. This man was the lord of Dion castle, and not someone Ryonai was fond of. Catching sight of Inderhoven amongst those racing around in preparation for battle, Ryonai flashed the older man a smile of welcome in passing as he made his way towards the Lord of Dion.

"What are you talking about; we should have plenty of defensive power." Ryonai murmured, glancing over the plans. He inwardly winced as the man was right. The first unit was made up of Haibane and a couple of the others that had followed his lead from Aden, and it sorely lacked the defensive power they needed. The rest of the defensive force was in the second unit under Vlad's command, and could not be switched. In Ryonai's force were two Paladins being himself and Leon, and two Shilen Knights, being Alucard and Zaren. The Shilen Knights were more of an offensive type of defense, and to truly be impenetrable they needed one more pure defensive type. Sharmin and Emixia had been placed in the other unit at the request of Gatz and Vlad, and Ryonai winced at that decision now.

"I can do it." Narlafayn's voice came. Ryonai and the other leaders raised their heads to look at her. She stood straight under their gaze, trying to meet their eyes without fear. She looked weak despite her show, the story the gods had told her still shaking her to the core. Ryonai had ordered her to rest, even though his immediate concern wasn't for her health, but to keep her as far away from contact with Terebel as possible.

"I don't think that's a good idea…" Ryonai began, trying to find a good excuse to keep her within the castle.

"Why, because you're scared of me?" Narlafayn challenged boldly, clenching her fists.

"What's this?" the Lord of Dion asked, waving a hand at Narlafayn. "She's not in a unit yet?"

"I'm a Temple Knight, and no, I'm not." Narlafayn responded quickly before Ryonai could say anything. Ryonai sighed heavily and covered his face with his hands.

"Well then put her in there, why'd you leave her out?" The Dion Lord asked, glaring at Ryonai. He excused himself from their presence and led Narlafayn away with an arm over her shoulders.

"Why are you doing this? You shouldn't be going out there right now." Ryonai asked her in a low voice. Narlafayn flashed him a glare and stopped to pull away from him.

"I am just as capable as anyone else to fight. Just because you know about me now doesn't change who I've been all along." She snapped, taking on a challenging stance. Her face softened slightly and she glanced away as a look of pain crossed it. "I can't feel…I mean, the hammer doesn't sense him nearby. I'll be ok." She added in a low voice. Ryonai gave her a half smile of sympathy, understanding how she was hurting, and that the only thing to distract her from it now was to go into battle.

"Alright, you're in the first unit. You'll be up front with Leon and I." he said, patting her on her head like a child. He turned away from her as she beamed brightly at him, embarrassed by her silent gratitude. "Oh…" he began, turning back towards her slightly. "Don't summon that third cubic…Sharmin told me horror stories about it in Giran, and I don't think we need you catching the attention of every monster within the vicinity while in battle." Narlafayn glanced away in embarrassment and chuckled nervously. She didn't think anyone but Terebel had seen the third cubic. Silently cursing the third fairy she wandered towards Leon, adrenaline pumping through her system for the coming battle.

"Alright, are we ready?" The Lord of Dion called out over the courtyard a bit later. He was met with cheering from his force, which would be heading out second. They'd finished planning for the battle, and were confident that they'd come out victorious. Spying Sprissa as she cast runic Orc magic to enhance the powers of Haibane, Ryonai slid over to her quickly and leaned in close to her ear. She smelled of wood smoke and exotic oil perfume, two scents that still caused his heart to race faster, even now when his feelings for her had quieted to a warm fondness.

"If something happens to me, I'm putting you in charge." He murmured to her. She gasped mid chant and turned to look at him, her eyes large. Nearby, Broud stood a little straighter, his eyes glued to Ryonai as Sprissa faced him.

"Why me? I'm not cut out to lead!" she exclaimed in a hushed voice. Ryonai smiled at her warmly and patted her on the shoulder.

"You are cut out to lead an entire race, my friend, so I have little fear that I've made the wrong choice." He said with a cocky smile. He could tell she was blushing under her veil by the way her body tensed, and leaned over to kiss her forehead. In the corner of his eye he caught sight of Broud taking a step forward, a look of jealous rage on his face. Lifting an eyebrow he glanced at him, and Broud looked away quickly, trying to hide his angry expression with an aloof look. "Your brother is quite protective, I see." Ryonai said, amused. Sprissa blushed again and looked away.

"Yes, he is." She responded mechanically, earning another raised eyebrow look from Ryonai. She shook her head and cleared her throat, trying to cover up her embarrassment. "I will do as you say, but I hope that it will not come to that." She said, placing a hand on his cheek. "Please stay safe."

"Now that you've shown such love for me, I will be certain of it." Ryonai said dramatically with a wink. He pulled away from her and gave Broud a grin before moving into the crowd of his gathered unit.

"Alright everyone, listen up!" Ryonai said loudly, gathering everyone in his force's attention. "The first unit will go in followed by the second. Vlad, don't give your unit the command to attack until we've already engaged the enemy. Healers, make sure you stay behind the fray but close enough to cast magic. You will remain near the Orcs and bow users, understand?" There were nods of approval and murmurs of excitement. "Alright, let's move out!" Ryonai exclaimed, holding his sword up. His force shouted in response, holding up their weapons. They moved out of the castle and down the mountainside the castle sat on top of. Their goal of destination was the Eastern Border gate, the warring sides projected to meet just outside of the gates. It was a strategy devised by Vlad, to lure Elmore into Aden territory and then fight them, but he warned them that it would most likely only work once. Elmore was well known for guessing battle strategy quickly, making them formidable in war.

"I'm sorry." Ryonai murmured as he passed Vuylay on his way to the front of the unit. Her lips parted in surprise and she glanced up at him. "Stay safe." He said with a gentle smile, finding her hand and squeezing it. She smiled at him in relief as he moved on, and hugged herself as her throat tightened up.

Thus the two forces marched, the air still with the anticipation of the battle. Ryonai stood at the curve of a hill leading up to the Border Gates, watching as Elmore's forces gathered past the gates. To the west was the Blazing Swamp, the air full of the scent of sulfur from the tree that spewed forth molten lava directly from the bowels of Gran Kain's realm. His hands suddenly sweaty, Ryonai gripped his sword tightly and held it high above his head with a shout.

The two sides raced towards one another with the sound of his voice, Vlad's unit meeting the force in battle as soon as Ryonai crossed swords with a Paladin on Elmore's side. Narlafayn cried out in rage as she deflected the sword of a human with her shield and stabbed his middle with her sword. She looked at him without pity as he fell, his inexperience in battle apparent in the look of shock on his face.

Mune found herself fighting for her life against her own countrymen as she searched the faces of those around her for someone familiar. Evzen struggled to dodge blows from those around them and heal her at the same time, giving Mune more work to do to keep him safe.

"Was this your grand idea?" Evzen shouted bitterly as he ducked away from the swing of an Orc's axe. Mune met the axe with both of her swords and grunted loudly in exertion as she tried to find an opening to wound him.

"I didn't expect this!" she retorted, finally stabbing him through the shoulder and wounding him to the point where he couldn't grip his weapon any longer. "Let's get out of here!" she shouted, grabbing Evzen's arm and dragging him through the fray and praying no one would notice them.

"Stop right there!" a Silver Ranger exclaimed as they passed an outcropping of rocks. He dropped down in front of them with several other bow wielders, all with arrows pointed directly at the pair. Evzen dropped his staff immediately and held up his hands.

"We surrender." He said, his eyes large. Mune let out a disgusted noise and put a hand to her forehead.

Oonugh roared as he struggled against a Destroyer from the Elmore side. Their spears were locked together, and having not battled for so many years had left Oonugh weak. He winced as he was pushed down to his knees, rage not being enough to help him now. With a beast-like snarl Broud leapt over the bodies falling in front of him and swung his pole axe. It embedded itself deep within the Destroyer's side, cutting through bone and organs to finally pierce the side of his heart. The Elmore Orc gurgled in rage and jerked away from Broud, further damaging himself. He fell to the bloodied ground a moment later, not dead, but in enough pain to immobilize him.

"Thank you." Oonugh panted as Broud helped him to his feet with one hand. Broud flashed him a half smile, one that was laced with suppressed rage and caused Oonugh to tilt his head at his son curiously. Broud turned away from him before any questions were asked, and let out a battle shout as he ran for another Orc that was aiming an arrow at Sprissa.

Upon a mountain ledge above the fray, Shizuka and Amari approached the edge to gaze down at the battle raging on below them. Amari watched without expression, even his posture masking whatever emotions he was feeling at that moment.

"Such violence over something as trivial as royal pride." Shizuka said in a condescending tone. "Amari, use your magic. I want to see the power mother spoke of." She stated, looking at him.

"I am not your dog to command." Amari retorted, glancing at her. Being so close to the Abyss was doing things to Amari's mind, and he struggled to keep control of himself. His most powerful magic had been humming louder and louder since he willingly went to Shizuka, and the temptation to release it was difficult to ignore.

"Then by all means, please do what you wish to do the most." Shizuka cooed, running a finger across his shoulders as she stepped behind him. That was all the incentive the darkness with Amari needed, and he shut his eyes at the feel of her touch. When he opened them again, they flared and swirled with color similar to Shilen's viewing pool. The wind began to pick up around them as a voice that was Amari's, but did not come from Amari's mouth whispered around them. Several people below began to look up to the sky as clouds gathered in response to Amari's magic.

From the sky came a whirlwind, a funnel cloud that began at the Border Gates, flinging up those who lingered behind there. It did a little twirling dance, not harming those it flung, but making them dizzy and disoriented as they were spun through the air. It dissipated a moment after it appeared, and everyone at the gates looked around in confusion. What witchcraft had caused such a strange phenomenon? Smirking darkly, Amari let loose another flare of power, a new cyclone forming above the heads of those still looking around the gates in confusion.

"Bring me my other half." Shizuka murmured to Lindvior. The dragon bowed stiffly with one hand across his chest before large feathered bat like wings sprung from his back and he took to the sky. "Amari, don't just ignore the Aden side, there are naughty people there too…" Shizuka whispered into his ear as she returned to his side. His eyes jerked to the Aden side and the dark smile returned. Of course, how could he ignore the leeches pretending to be of cognitive speech? Such egos needed to be taken down a notch or two…

Narlafayn shielded herself on the ground as the wind picked up again, trying to keep the dust from hitting her in the eyes. Next to her, Sharmin shielded both she and Gatz with her shield, wincing as the dirt bit into their skin where the armor did not cover.

"What the hell is going on? Is someone playing with us?" Komugi's voice was heard shouting over the wind. Narlafayn raised her head as a strange feeling coursed through her. Her eyes widened as she noticed Amari upon the cliff with Shizuka, magic coursing off of his body like smoke. Her breath catching in her throat she began to push her way through the fighting crowd, deflecting blows from swords and axes as she went. Her eyes were glued to the ledge, her body trembling from the power coming from there.

"A…Amari!" Narlafayn shouted, her voice lost in the noise. She fell forward and scrambled to hold on to a dead tree as a strange vacuum feeling tried to pull her off her feet. Glancing over her shoulder, her eyes widened as she found a cyclone dancing around the edge of the Aden forces, sucking up the second force that had just come in to help, and pulling people from Ryonai's force. Upon the ledge, Amari spread his arms as he inhaled deeply, and then let it out in a triumphant, dark laugh. The cyclonic vortex did not merely toss people around as it had on Elmore's side, this one took them high up into the air and then let those unfortunate enough to get sucked into it fall to the ground to their death.

"Vuylay!" Narlafayn cried, spying her friend clutching to the deteriorating bricks of the old highway that used to run into Elmore. She winced as the cyclone pulled at her, the tie binding her hair into a ponytail being pulled free. Her violet hair whipped about her face angrily as she held on. "Hang on, I'll get you!" Narlafayn shouted, inching her way down the tree trunk and towards her friend. By this time the battle was forgotten, as the Elmore side retreated for fear of being sucked into the vortex while the Aden side desperately located things to hang on to. As Narlafayn tried to reach Vuylay, Ryonai was doing the same, spying her as he helped Lavinia hang on to a boulder. Vuylay let out a whimper of fear as her fingers began to slip, and she glanced fearfully over her shoulder at the angry mouth of the cyclone as it continued to pull things into it.

Taking a breath, Narlafayn murmured a quick prayer to whatever deity would have her, and released the trunk to fly closer to her friend. At the same time as she released the rotted wood, a hole exploded into the mountain Amari and Shizuka stood upon, shaking them and interrupting Amari's spell. One of the Shadows of Halisha emerged from the hole, this one blue in color, her beast screeching in anger at being forced above ground. She darted forward and grabbed Narlafayn just as Lindvior, in his dragon form, darted from the sky and grabbed Vuylay in his talons. Unable to concentrate on his spell as the mountain shook, the cyclone dissipated as Amari fell. Ryonai jumped up as Lindvior flapped his wings to regain his lift now that the wind was gone, and grabbed onto the talon that held Vuylay. The Shadow of Halisha screeched angrily at Lindvior who roared in response, and the two beasts retreated away from each other having retrieved their prizes. The mountain repaired itself eerily as the Shadow disappeared within it, and Lindvior disappeared into a break in the clouds above them with Vuylay and Ryonai.


	30. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

_The betrayal_

Dusk had fallen over the lands of northern Aden, casting the world in a red light that would not fade once the moon rose. Chaos was the best word to describe the state within the Devastated Castle at that moment. Soldiers raced around looking for their leaders, while the leaders tried to make sense of what happened out in the field. A crowd made up of mostly men had gathered at one side of the courtyard, jeering at what they surrounded.

"Out of the way!" Sprissa barked, her voice sharp and cold as she approached the crowd. Despite earlier worries, she had fallen into the position of leadership easier than she had expected. She pushed some soldiers from the other lords units aside as she made her way to the center of the crowd. She gasped as Vlad, naked to his waist, went flying across the empty space the crowd surrounded and landed on his side. Broud, also naked to his waist, stood across the circle from him, fists raised.

"Oh you picked the wrong person to start a fight with, junior." Vlad growled, pushing himself to his feet. He crouched and egged Broud on by waving his hand for him to bring the fight over to him. With a growl, Broud launched himself across the circle, and the two began throwing punches at one another.

"Stop this at once!" Sprissa shouted. Her voice was lost in the jeers of the men around her and she made an angry noise in her throat. Zaren and Emixia stood to one side holding Vlad's armor, an expression of embarrassment clear on Zaren's face. "Zaren, what started this?" Sprissa demanded, forgetting her formality with the urgency of the situation. Zaren opened his mouth and shook his head, unable to find words.

"Broud accused Vlad of being a traitor because he saw Amari up on the mountaintop by the battlefield, controlling that cyclone." Komugi reported, standing on Zaren's other side. "Vlad said something in return that seemed to compromise Broud's manliness, and thus you are brought to now." Her hand flew out and grabbed Zaken's arm as he began to unfasten his armor. "Don't get involved, I don't want Vlad using this time as an excuse to perform weird experiments on you while you're distracted by fighting." She said, exhausted.

"Make way!" Gatz's voice came. The crowd parted as he and Sharmin ran side by side, carrying a large log in front of them. The fighting pair had but a second to stare at the stampeding duo coming at them before they were bowled over by the force of their bodies and the log. Broud was on his feet in an instant, and grabbed Sharmin by the back of her armor with a snarl. He was scissor kicked by Oonugh before he could harm the Paladin, and went flying into the crowd.

"Hold up there, hero." Lavinia stated, grabbing Vlad by his pants as he tried to gain the upper hand on Broud. He tripped and fell ungracefully to the ground, his pants ripping just enough to display part of his bum to the world. Komugi burst out into laughter at the sight, and Vlad angrily flicked a tiny pebble in her direction. It pinged off of her forehead and she doubled over in pain, clutching it. With a snarl, Zaken leapt into the center of the crowd in her defense.

"ENOUGH!" Sprissa shouted, jumping between the men before another fight began. "I know we're all upset with what happened, but this is not time to be fighting amongst ourselves like children!" she panted slightly, the crowd silencing with her words. Many scoffed and rolled their eyes at her, but none spoke up. "If you so desire to harm one another, there's the door. Meet each other in battle, but so help me with the grace of Paagrio, I will not hesitate to maim those of you who do not follow my orders while Ryonai is missing!" she snapped. Those who knew Sprissa gawked at her sudden show of force, and some swore they saw Oonugh smirking proudly.

"As if you'll do anything, you're just a lousy Orc Mystic." Alucard said, rolling his eyes. With a hiss, Sprissa grabbed a club that had been abandoned on the ground during Broud and Vlad's fight and launched it at the Shilen Knight. It spun as it flew through the air, connecting with the side of Alucard's head and laying him flat.

"Anyone else wish to agree with him?" She asked roughly, glaring around the crowd. The onlookers quickly dispersed, returning to what they had been doing before the fight broke out. Soon all that remained around her was the members of Haibane, whom were trying to get Broud and Vlad onto their feet again, and into their armor.

"Um…who was left in charge in Ryonai's stead?" a soldier from one of the other units asked meekly. Sprissa turned an angry glare upon him, and he flinched.

"What do you need?" she asked, her face returning to the professional mask she always wore with strangers. The soldier blinked in confusion at her sudden change of attitude, and glanced at the members of Haibane around her.

"These two prisoners keep requesting to speak with the representative of Haibane, ma'am…the Lord of Dion wants to execute them, but they keep insisting that you guys will pardon them." The soldier stated, pointing towards the tent set up as quarters for the captains of the second force. "There they are ma'am." The soldier narrated as Evzen and Mune were dragged protesting from the tent interior.

"Mune!" Lavinia exclaimed, finding her way out of her surprise to move towards them. "You can't kill her, that's my sister!" she shouted, jogging towards them.

"Lavinia!" Mune exclaimed in return, relief flooding her expression. Both she and Evzen bore the marks of rough treatment on their face, and Lavinia scowled at the guards holding her. "Unhand her you idiots, that's my sister, she's not someone to be executed."

"She is a traitor of Aden, and therefore she must die." The Lord of Dion said easily, walking out of his tent. "Oh I know very well who you and your family are Miss Teristen, many of us knew your grandfather."

"Then you know that she is not the traitorous type." Lavinia said icily as the rest of Haibane approached. The Lord of Dion looked down to the tiny dagger he was using to clean his nails with a smirk.

"What I know, Miss Teristen, is not only is she wearing the colors of Elmore, but she wounded one of our own in battle AND she is traveling with a well-known Elmorean noble. That seems rather traitorous to me."

"Oh come off yourself, I was going to get killed if I hadn't have fought that guy." Mune retorted angrily, struggling against the hold the guards had her in. She couldn't believe this; maybe she should've just stayed in Elmore and said to hell with Aden if they were all being such pricks to her, she thought.

"Excuse me, sir." Sprissa said loudly, announcing herself. She stepped between Lavinia and the Lord of Dion before Lavinia and Mune fired any acidic retorts and removed her veil. She met the Lord's surprised gaze without flinching, and put a hand on Mune's shoulder. "Seeing as how she is still part of my clan despite current appearances, I feel it's only proper that her fate be decided by US, not by you." She said firmly. The Lord of Dion stood a little straighter as she challenged him with her stance. Something about seeing her without her veil on seemed to shake him, and he cleared his throat as he glanced away from her.

"Fine, take the Teristen girl." The Lord said, waving his hand. The guard holding her arms released her, and Sprissa dragged Mune away from him before she could kick him in retaliation for her treatment.

"Her companion too." Sprissa stated, nodding towards Evzen. Evzen's face lit up into stars, happy despite current conditions to be considered Mune's companion. The Lord of Dion scoffed with laughter at this request and shook his head.

"This one is not a Teristen or from Aden. He's a noble from Elmore and he'll be executed as an example to his people." The Lord said with a smirk. With a jerk of his chin the guards began pushing Evzen off, despite the loud protests that arose from Haibane.

"He's my husband!" Mune suddenly shouted. Dozens of pairs of shocked eyes turned to look at her as she stared intensely at the Lord of Dion.

"What?" Both the Lord of Dion and Lavinia questioned with a frown. Mune swallowed nervously and mustered up her best serious expression.

"He's my husband, we got married so he could take the Teristen name and escape Elmore. He hates it there." Mune continued, making sure she met the Lord of Dion's gaze without flinching so her lie would not be seen through. Evzen's head flung backwards as if he had been hit with debris, and he nearly fainted with her words. The Lord of Dion stared at her with his brow furrowed, trying to catch her in her lie. He glanced up at Lavinia whom shrugged and shook her head.

"I haven't seen her for almost two weeks, who knows what she could've done in that time." Lavinia admitted sheepishly. With a soft growl he glanced over at Evzen.

"Is this true?" he demanded. Evzen's expression went blank with his question, and he glanced between the Lord and Mune quickly. She glared at him menacingly, and he swallowed.

"Darling." He managed to finally say wistfully, making his eyes shine like sparkling stars. The Lord of Dion growled softly in his throat again, and then jutted his chin out.

"Release him." He grumbled. Normally he would just ignore their protests and execute him anyway, but during this war it called for cooperation amongst all parties, even if those parties would be the worst of enemies otherwise. "Listen up Orc," the Lord began, drawing in close to Sprissa's face in a threatening manner, "if I find out any of you Haibane people have lied here tonight, no code of honor amongst countrymen will stop me and my men from disposing of your little clan and claiming you ran from the battle like cowards." She met his threat without flinching, a dark look on her face.

"Sir, I would like to see you try." Sprissa retorted softly, glaring at him through half shut eyes. The Lord of Dion glared at her for another moment before turning away and retreating back into his tent with his guards. Sprissa relaxed and turned to face her clan, whom stared at her in awe.

"How do you DO that?" Komugi asked as she untied Mune. Sprissa's cheeks turned pink and she smiled shyly.

"I never thought personality traits were genetic, but I see that they are." Lavinia said with a smile, looking over her head at Oonugh. He also blushed and smiled shyly while glancing away from her.

"I gather that Sprissa was the only one these traits were passed on to." Vlad grumbled, holding a cold, water-soaked cloth to his face. Broud snarled and started towards Vlad, who jumped up and went into a martial arts stance.

"HEY!" Sprissa shouted, putting her hands out to stop them. "Enough." She said calmly, once she had their attention. "Lets head into the castle and try to figure out what's happened to our clanmates, alright?" she asked, looking between the men. They relaxed slowly, not trusting the other to jump once an opening was found. Sprissa shook her head as they cautiously made their way into the castle interior. Honestly, once boys were in the mood for fighting, there was no stopping them, it didn't matter what your race was.

Narlafayn groaned as consciousness returned to her, and shifted. She opened her eyes slowly, waiting for them to focus before she moved. She was lying on her stomach on a smooth stone floor that was strangely warm as if it were heated somehow from beneath. She pushed herself to her knees, wincing as her entire body hurt like she'd been hit with something large and blunt.

"Good morning." A male voice greeted her cheerfully. Her head shot up in an instant and she scrambled away as she realized she were lying on the floor in front of a raised podium to a pipe organ, upon which sat Frintezza.

"Where am I?" she asked fearfully as her eyes darted around the cathedral room, her voice shaking with shock. The hammer began to scream in her mind, and she winced and doubled over from it. She let out a whimpering noise and covered her head with her hands, trying to make it stop. Frintezza made a sympathetic noise from where he sat, and descended the podium to kneel in front of her.

"Don't cry Ambika…there there." He said gently, rubbing her back. The screaming silenced at the touch of his hand, and she raised her head slowly to look at him. He smiled at her gently, no trace of insanity or cruelty there, and caressed her cheek. "See? You're amongst those who love you here." He said in a fatherly tone, helping her to stand. She frowned slightly as he escorted her through the grand cathedral and to a large room full of doors just outside of it. "Ambika" was a name that the spider woman Orfen had called her in the Sea of Spores, but she'd forgotten to try and find out what it meant.

"Where am I?" she asked again, her heart pounding in anxiety as he placed her hand on his arm to escort her properly. The air was loud with the growling of demons, and it smelled rank of their breath and bodies. She felt as if she was strolling through an elegant part of hell, and she wanted nothing more than to flee.

"Don't you want to know who I am first?" Frintezza asked with an overly convincing expression of hurt. Narlafayn inspected his face for a moment, trying to discern if the emotion he was showing was an act or not.

"I already know who you are; you're Frintezza, the crown prince of Elmoreden." Narlafayn said slowly, repeating what she remembered him introducing himself as during his broadcast.

"Ah, my reputation precedes me." Frintezza said elegantly as if honored that she knew him by name. Narlafayn lifted an eyebrow as he led her through a set of double doors on the other side of the room he'd escorted her through. Inside of this new room sat a long rectangular banquet table, two chairs placed at one end. A display of food was laid out at this end, and the rest of the table was covered in lit candles. Narlafayn's eyes bugged open at the sight of food, and her stomach gurgled in anticipation. Embarrassed, Narlafayn withdrew her arm from Frintezza and placed her hands over her stomach.

"Sorry." She said sullenly, her cheeks red with embarrassment.

"It is the best compliment the cook of this delicious food could receive, Ambika, do not be embarrassed." Frintezza said elegantly. "Come, dine with me and tell me of your adventures in the world above." He pulled out a chair for her to sit in, and gestured to it. She swallowed nervously and eyed the food. Despite how delicious it looked, she didn't trust Frintezza to not poison her.

"Thank you, but I don't think I shou…" she began, holding up her hand to decline his invitation.

"SIT DOWN, Ambika." Frintezza insisted, pulling her to the chair and forcing her to sit. She landed hard on her bottom, and stared up at him in fearful shock. "There we go, isn't that much better?" he purred, pulling the starched white napkin from the plate in front of her and shaking it out once before tucking it into the collar of her armor. He scooted her chair in so far that the arms came to rest against the table, locking her in her spot. He sat down smoothly next to her, his air of cool in place again.

With a wave of his hands strange transparent spirits of different colors emerged from the stone floor and began to serve them food and drink. "Eat Ambika, and tell me all about your world. I do so love a good story." He said, reclining in his chair as Narlafayn stared blankly at her food. Clearing her throat, she picked up her fork gingerly and tried to figure out where to start. She couldn't escape this man's hospitality, she realized, she just hoped the food was poisoned with something that would make her fall asleep before killing her.

Vuylay winced and pushed herself up as consciousness returned to her. She found she was sprawled over Ryonai, who was also returning to reality. She gazed down at him as he opened his eyes to look at her, and her lips parted slightly as she brushed a strand of hair from his face. There was a gasping sigh that drew both of their attention, and they both sat up quickly.

They found they were in an iron cage, similar to the ones that the slave traders used, placed in the corner of what they gauged was a bedroom by the large bed that sat not far away from them. Upon the bed was a pair obviously very much engaged in intercourse, the sigh having come from the woman. Ryonai let out a growling noise and dashed for the bars as Shizuka sat up on top of her partner, barely dressed.

"Oh, Ryonai…you're awake." Shizuka said breathlessly as she gazed over her shoulder. "And Vuylay as well." With a dark smirk in her direction, Vuylay doubled over with one hand on her stomach. Sweat began to bead around her face as Shizuka reopened the connection between them, sharing with her everything that she felt. Shizuka's partner sat up, and Ryonai recoiled backwards in horror as Terebel grabbed the back of Shizuka's head to kiss her possessively. A dark look passed Ryonai's face a moment later and he shook the bars like a madman.

"Terebel, I'm going to kill you!" Ryonai snarled. Terebel broke the kiss with Shizuka with his threat, and leapt from the bed to the cage, where he attempted to stab Ryonai with the smaller of the two blood swords that materialized in his hands as he moved. Vuylay leapt and shoved Ryonai out of the way, the sword grazing her side and cutting her. She fell to the ground clutching the wound and wincing, trying to heal it.

"Now boys…behave yourselves." Shizuka purred as she joined Terebel at the cage. "You've already had your turn with me Ryonai, it's time to share." She giggled. She wore the seductive yellow nightdress again that swirled around her legs like a cloud as she moved. "Terebel, leave." She commanded harshly. Withdrawing slowly from the cage, Terebel backed out of the room, never once letting his eyes drift from Ryonai. Shizuka knelt and reached into the cage to lightly smooth Ryonai's hair from his face as he lay on the ground, breathing heavily.

"Why are you doing this Shizuka? Why did you leave me?" he asked, his voice rough with tears. Shizuka puckered her lips in a mockery of a sympathetic expression, and patted his cheek lightly. She glanced up as a new person entered the room, her face brightening as she jumped to her feet. Ryonai sat up as she embraced Amari and kissed him lovingly. Vuylay swallowed her tears at the look of tortured pain on Ryonai's face as he watched her kiss his friend and confidant in front of him.

"Does it hurt? Does it feel like your insides are bleeding?" Shizuka asked eagerly after breaking the kiss with Amari. Amari blinked and looked into the cage in surprise, not expecting to see his friends locked within it.

"Shizuka, what is this?" Amari asked in a hushed voice as she took him by the hand. With a giggle she led him to the cage, and held out a hand to Vuylay as the Elder lay upon the ground, resting after healing her wound. Vuylay glanced up at Amari and met his gaze without expression as they tried to discern why the other was there.

"Here is your present!" she announced happily. Amari looked at her in shock, and then back to Vuylay. Shizuka pouted at his lack of reaction and led him to the bed. "Don't you like it? I thought you had a crush on Vuylay because she resembled Ilyra." She pouted, pushing on his shoulders until he sat down.

"Why are you involving her in this?" Amari asked, staring at the pink-haired elf. Shizuka grinned and pranced back to the cage and looked into it.

"Because Vuylay _is me_, silly. Mother's request can be carried out with either half you see; we have the same genes after all. Just so long as a child is made, all will be well." She glanced over her shoulder curiously as she spoke, her eyes large. "I thought it would be easier for you to make a child with Vuylay." She said in a questioning voice. Vuylay and Ryonai stared at her in horror as she turned back to them slowly. "Oh how terribly rude of me, you didn't know!" she said in mock horror. "Let me tell you both a little secret." She sunk down to a crouch as if she didn't want Amari to overhear her. "Mother…Shilen…placed me in the world for one purpose." She watched their faces as they waited patiently for her to continue and then giggled as she stood and danced away from them. She flopped onto the bed behind Amari and wrapped her arms around him to rest her chin on his shoulder.

"What purpose is that?" Vuylay asked hatefully, holding Ryonai upright as he stared at Shizuka in shock. Shizuka smiled and licked Amari's earlobe before standing up again.

"I'm to make seven children powerful enough to break the seven seals binding mother." She said, approaching the cage slowly again. She paused to consider her words. "Well, six now since I killed the seventh one myself." She returned to taking short, measured steps towards them. "Mother sent me into the world to scour it and find men powerful enough to father children who could break the seals. So far I've found two; Terebel and Amari." She glanced over her shoulder to beam brightly at the Spellhowler still sitting on her bed stiffly. "Terebel was an especially good find. Don't worry about him and Narlafayn and the prophesy of destruction; I'm to kill him after he gets me pregnant." She focused upon Ryonai and her smile dropped into a look of icy hatred. "To answer your question, you didn't make the cut. You're quite the battle genius, but I'm afraid you're quite useless otherwise. Pity, I was fond of the good times we shared."

"Shizuka!" Vuylay exclaimed in shock as Ryonai seemed to collapse within himself at her words. He pushed away from her as Shizuka stood and turned away from the cage. He clutched the bars and reached for her, his fingers finding the hem of her nightgown and grabbing onto it. She glanced at him over her shoulder without emotion and snatched the garment from his grasp.

"Please…I'll do anything…" Ryonai pleaded. Tears dropped from his eyes as she knelt in front of him and took his hand in hers. He shook his head as she drew in close, sobbing lightly. She pressed her forehead against his, and he held her hand tightly, hope flaring in the space between them.

"Does it hurt? Does it feel like your insides are bleeding?" she whispered in cruel mirth as she watched him sob. His eyes slowly widened as she grinned darkly at him. "Do anything? Then please, do stay here and die. You're becoming annoying." She said as she stood again. Ryonai slumped against the bars of the cage as she retreated away from him. "Come Amari, the air in here is beginning to stink of mortal. Let us find a more pleasant atmosphere." She paused at the door to glance over her shoulder at the cage. "Oh, and Vuylay, you can have that human if you want to play with him for a little while before I give you to Amari. He became boring a long time ago."

"This isn't right…" Amari murmured as he followed Shizuka from the room. Guilt began to gnaw through the darkness that had descended upon him, bringing him back to himself. He glanced at Ryonai with a frown and then back to Shizuka, unsure of how to go about getting his clan leader free.

Vuylay waited until she was certain that Shizuka and Amari had left the room before scooting towards Ryonai. She placed a comforting hand upon his shoulder, one which he tossed away angrily.

"Don't touch me!" he said violently, not looking at her. Vuylay withdrew at the hatred his voice held, swallowing hard against the tears of sympathy she wished to shed for him. He sunk down to the ground, holding himself up by his elbows, and began to sob. The sound of his crying echoed throughout the dark room, a sound so heart wrenching that even Valakas, watching in the shadows, felt sympathy for him. His loyalty lay with Shizuka however, and he forced himself to leave the room in a burst of flame. He too was feeling scorned by Shizuka's words, as she did not find him, the very son of Shilen, worthy enough to father a seal destroying child with. This burned him deeply, and he was uncertain if he could see Shizuka in the same light any more.

As he left the room a new figure crouched in the shadows, waiting, watching as Ryonai and Vuylay sat numbly in the cage. It was not safe yet to move, so this figure curled up like a cat upon the floor, their slitted eyes trained upon the pair in the cage.

Back in Goddard, the force that had witnessed the cyclone came racing back into the city, alive with the news of what they'd seen. The captain of the Goddard army frowned as he gazed at the numbers that remained, and the numbers of the new force that had gathered. They were short by far, according to what those whom had been on the front lines had told him.

"Captain, bandits from Aden wish to speak with you!" his second in command hissed next to him. The captain frowned bitterly, wondering how anyone from Aden managed to sneak through the Border Gates.

"Where are they?" he asked, glancing around Goddard city's poor level.

"Outside sir…they can't fit in the city." His second said nervously. The captain tilted his head, and handed the battle plan scrolls he held to his second as he dashed off for the city gates. He stopped at the top of the steps leading down from the city, his eyes large as the so-called 'bandits' from Aden came into view. He took two steps out of the city, both steps faltering with awe.

"Greetings captain of the Elmorean army." A voice greeted him. The captain looked down to find a short human woman wearing Dark Crystal robes bowing low before him. "I present to you my clan, good sir, in hopes that we may join your forces to kill the scum that dare call themselves nobility of Aden." The former Dame of Innadril Castle stood from her bow with a smirk, and extended a hand to present her clan and alliance. Thousands of people stood behind her, stretching far past Goddard's immediate city limits and into the Garden of Beasts beyond. They began to cheer with her introduction, pulling the attention of all of the forces within the city.

The captain sunk down to sit on the step, awed by the sight. Had these people decided to fight on Aden's side, they could've easily overtaken Goddard and the army that had gathered there with little effort.

"You would…give Elmore…this much force?" the Captain said, trying to swallow and wet his suddenly dry throat. Ryann, the former Dame, smirked darkly and nodded. "What…what do you want in return for lending us such power?" the captain asked suspiciously, knowing right away that such a large force from Aden would not leave it's country for no reason.

"Choose to believe it or not, that is up to you sir, but my alliance and I have only one desire; to completely obliterate the clan known as Haibane and all those who sympathize with them. We will kill our families and friends if we need to for that chance, so command us as you may." She said haughtily. A smile spread slowly upon the captain's face with her words, and he held out a hand of welcome to her.

"Can you believe it? That gigantic force is here to assist us!" an Elemental Summoner by the name of Lana exclaimed happily to the woman who stood next to her. "We're sure to win this war now!" she clapped in glee and hopped in place with her excitement.

"What clan did they say they were hunting?" the Dark Elf she spoke to asked while adjusting her gauntlets.

"I think that woman said Haibane" Lana stated after thinking for a moment. "I've got to go tell the others!" with that she raced off, leaving the white-haired Dark Elf alone.

"My my…what kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into now, sons of mine?" Anasala, the Dark Elven mother of Vlad and Amari questioned with a bitter smirk. "Must mother come and clean up after you children all the time?" she shook her head as she retreated into the city to prepare for battle. It'd been a long time since she'd seen her boys; it'd be fun if she actually had a chance to cross blades with them.


	31. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28 **

_The contest of strength_

It was late at night when Sprissa finally emerged from the Throne Room where she had been locked in deep debate with the lords of the other units. They did not accept her as Ryonai's named second in command, and argued any point she would bring up during the strategy planning for the next battle. She sighed and walked towards the Inner Courtyard to get a drink from the well, reaching up to pull her hair out of its ponytail and undo the braids.

As she emerged into the red moonlight, she halted mid step as Broud came into view. He stood next to the well and lifted a bucket full of water over his head and overturned it, washing the remnants of soap from his body. He stared at the bucket as he placed it the side of the well with an unreadable expression, and then glanced up to meet her eyes as she stared at him. Water dripped off of his face and hair as they stared at one another, the air heavy between them with what they could never acknowledge. Sprissa turned away from him and fled back into the castle as he took a step towards her. He watched her disappear without expression, the pain in his eyes apparent even though he did not show it. With a sigh he returned to the well, intent on finishing his bath and retiring for the night.

Sprissa hurried through the halls of the castle, her unbound hair curling now that it was not braided and bouncing around her head. She walked with purpose, finding a moment of courage and taking it. She re-entered the throne room where Oonugh stood with Lavinia and Vlad, making their own plans for the next battle. Although put in command of Haibane in Ryonai's stead, Sprissa lacked battle savvy for commanding the armies outside of the castle and so she had named Oonugh the commander of Ryonai's unit. Her father may be physically weak still, but she knew he still had the experience of battle that a fighting force would need to lead it.

"Father, I must speak with you," Sprissa said breathlessly as he glanced up from the written plans that he and Vlad pored over. All three persons in the throne room glanced at her, and then at one another.

"Go on." Lavinia urged as he looked at her for permission. Oonugh nodded and handed the parchment to Vlad before following Sprissa as she led him to another room to speak privately. Sprissa held the door to the room open until Oonugh entered and then shut it quietly. The door opened again slightly as she turned away from it, the rotted frame unable to keep the door latched.

"What is it?" Oonugh asked as Sprissa stood in front of him nervously. She had removed her veil out of courtesy and fidgeted as she resisted the urge to put it back on to hide behind. Now alone with her father her courage had waned and she swallowed nervously.

"Father, I don't know how to begin this conversation, it is of a difficult subject." She began politely, not looking at him. Outside the door, Broud halted as he passed, hearing her voice. He peeked in through the crack with narrowed eyes, his curiosity for her private conversation piqued. Sprissa took a breath to compose herself and finally met her father's eyes bravely. "I love Broud." She said in a burst of air, her face contorting into sadness. Outside the door, Broud's eyes widened, and he froze to the spot.

"This is good; all siblings should care for each other." Oonugh said simply, his eyes flickering to the door and then back to Sprissa. Sprissa looked away from her father and held her bicep with one arm, half hugging herself.

"What's going on?" Lavinia whispered, joining Broud's stiff form at the door. She raised an eyebrow as he didn't answer her, and peeked in to eavesdrop as well.

"No, my heart does not recognize him as family." Sprissa said quietly, clenching her hand. She looked back to Oonugh, her expression desperate. "I know it is taboo father, but I can only see him as a man, and I yearn for him as such! I have tried time and time again to deny what I feel and see him as my sibling…I know we are both your children, but please, if you would only say that I am not your daughter…"

"No." Oonugh answered quickly, interrupting her. Sprissa shut her mouth quickly, her eyes large with the force his voice held. "Broud holds the memories of our sacred ancestors; he was born of the Rites. Should his children find him and you are together…no, you must remain apart after this war." Oonugh said.

"There are no children; Broud did not complete the Rites that last cycle." Sprissa said quietly, looking away from Oonugh. Next to Lavinia, Broud sucked in a breath of air and tensed, and Lavinia blinked as she felt the fear penetrate his aura. Her lips parted as rage she'd never seen before crossed Oonugh's expression, and he took a step towards his daughter.

"Why?" He asked, staring her down. Although gentle for an Orc, the Rites of Completion was a sacred ritual that had to be fulfilled by those who felt it, even if no offspring came from it. To not complete the Rites was a taboo amongst the Orcs that was almost as great as Sprissa's feelings for her brother. Sprissa bit her lip and swallowed, hugging herself again.

"I assisted him without fully breaking taboo so he would not have to find a Ritual mate." Desperation crept into her voice as she looked back at her father. "I only did it because we were looking for you and then after we found you we could not leave you…" She was silenced as Oonugh's knuckles contacted her face as he backhanded her. She fell from the blow and held her face, shocked by the unexpected flare of his temper.

"HEY!" Lavinia shouted, barging into the room unannounced. "Oonugh, that was uncalled for!" she snapped, kneeling next to Sprissa. "Don't just stand there, stand up for her!" she said, looking over her shoulder at Broud. The younger Orc still stood in the doorway, looking away as the penetrating gaze of his father found him.

"Lavinia, please do not interfere with the way of Orcs, I do not want my temper to extend to you." Oonugh said in a stone hard voice. Lavinia stood after helping Sprissa to her knees and put her hands on her hips in front of Oonugh.

"Ways of Orcs my ass, there is never an excuse to smack someone, let alone your daughter who is so plainly hurting inside right now." Lavinia snapped, challenging him with her stance. "Don't you raise your fist at me or I'll magic your ass until you transform back into that rabbit." She warned as Oonugh clenched a fist. He lowered it in an instant, his temper fading as he began to internally question if she could do such a thing. "And you, the subject here seems to be on you, why aren't you saying anything?" Lavinia demanded, turning her anger on Broud as well.

"I have defiled the Rites; I have no foothold to argue with." Broud said sullenly. "Even Ketra Orcs are taught that the father is the superior one until the children best him in combat. Until that day, I must follow under the shadow of this putrice." He finished with a voice full of venom and hatred, glaring at Oonugh. If his gaze could start fires, Oonugh would've been nothing more than ash again. He marched out of the room before any more words could be said, and Lavinia sighed heavily. Sprissa's wound was her first priority now, and she led the woman out of the room to find a healer for it.

"I'll be back for you later." She said in a threatening manner, glaring over her shoulder. Oonugh blinked in surprise and glanced away like a child on the verge of being scolded. He made no motion to leave the room as the two left sight of it, and Lavinia sighed. When she'd scold him while he was in Drabbit form, he'd wait until she was out of sight and then take off to hide someplace. After turning a corner to follow the hallway, she paused and peered back towards the door. Sure enough, Oonugh's head peeked out of the room and glanced up and down the hallway. He then tiptoed from the room and towards the Inner Courtyard, and Lavinia sighed again. Oh well, it was just something she'd have to get accustomed to. He was the man she'd fallen for after all.

"Mune!" Evzen called as he jogged across the outer courtyard to her. Mune looked up from where she stood next to a blacksmith at a makeshift fire pit. He had heated her swords until they glowed and was hammering the knicks out of them. Mune turned to look at him and then glanced away with large eyes, her face red. She hadn't spoken to him after claiming he was her husband, too embarrassed with herself to even look at him. "I've been looking everywhere for you." He said breathlessly, his face bright.

"Gee, looks like you found me." She said bitterly, still not looking at him. She thanked the blacksmith as she took her swords from him and then started towards the castle without a word.

"So what's the plan? Are we going into battle again with them?" he asked enthusiastically.

"That's the plan…" Mune said evasively, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Great I can't wait!" Evzen exclaimed, slipping an arm around her shoulders. Mune jerked away quickly, her eyes large. Evzen retracted his limb and looked at her in surprise, hurt by her action. "I misunderstood something, didn't I?" he asked after a moment of uneasy silence. Mune averted his questioning gaze and cleared her throat.

"Saying you were my husband was the only way I could've kept you from being executed in that situation. I don't think of you as anything more than a friend." Mune said hastily, focusing on a blade of grass near the drawbridge. Evzen swallowed visibly, and he chuckled nervously.

"Wow…um…I knew that." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was just…keeping up appearances…" Mune shifted and glanced back at him, suddenly feeling sick to her stomach.

"I need to go figure out what I'll be doing in the next fight. You should get some rest." She said, turning away from him. "I'm sorry." She said quietly after taking a breath. Before Evzen could say any more she marched away from him, putting as much distance as she could between their bodies so her nerves would stop singing. She knew her feelings for Evzen had breeched the line of friendship into something more, but her stubborn pride as a swordswoman would not let her admit this openly. He was a Dark Elf, and nobility to boot. One day he would gain Schuttgart Castle and rule the land as the Lord. Mune didn't want a life like that; she wanted to be out in the field finding adventure, to try and one day catch up to her brother with battle expertise. She swallowed hard against the lump in her throat and shook her head to clear it. Evzen deserved a girly girl, not her. She could never be what he needed, not even if she gave up being a Swordsinger.

"You really need to stop trying to hide when you're in trouble with me, you didn't do it well as a Drabbit, and you do it worse now that you're back in your Orc body."

Oonugh turned slightly on the broken piece of wall he sat upon to find Lavinia standing behind him with her hands on her hips. She was dressed in a modest, peach colored nightgown, and tapped her foot upon the ground as if waiting for an explanation. He sighed heavily in defeat, some part of him childishly wishing he still had the power of cute fuzzy animal on his side to avoid an argument with her. Lavinia echoed his sigh and approached him as he turned away from her to sit correctly upon his perch.

"You were too hard on her, she was only trying to confide in you." She said, leaning against his back and letting her arms drape over his shoulders. Oonugh lifted a hand and held one of hers that dangled over his chest, squeezing it affectionately.

"Please do not be offended, but you do not understand the situation that was occurring in that room. She was asking me to disown her as my daughter so she could be with Broud without breaking the taboo." He turned slightly to look at Lavinia, pain showing clearly on his face. "I loved Synshlee with all of my heart, and Sprissa was conceived in that. I can never disown her." He squeezed Lavinia's hand as he felt her attempt to draw away, keeping her locked against him. Synshlee was a sensitive subject with her, this much he could tell by the way her face went slack when she came up in conversation. "I could never disown my son either…even though I did not know or care for his mother, children born of pure Orc blood, even with the Rites, is rare these days. It's as if the Great Fire is dying…and in such, every child is precious, even if they hate their parents in the end." Lavinia relaxed again, and hugged him lightly.

"Why not just let them be together? No one has to know." Lavinia asked, rubbing the skin of one of his pectorals with her fingertips. "I mean…normally I wouldn't condone such things because, being a girl with a brother myself, that's just…eh. But those two are different…for a human's lifetime they lived as strangers…they could've met and had children and never known who the other was… And if you're really worried about your bloodline imploding, I have plenty of eggs that could be turned into babies." Oonugh shook his head slowly with her words, and sighed again.

"There is much you will have to learn of those with Orc blood. Those who are of family, they know who the other is on sight. Even if they were to choose to ignore it, eventually the Flame Lord would know of their relation, and they could be killed for treason." He said, looking down. "Interbreeding amongst Orcs creates new tribes with new powers and traits. Doing as such without the permission of the Flame Lord is a treasonous act, and there is no tolerance or repentance once accused of it. It would mean their death, and the end of my bloodline." Oonugh sat a little straighter after his monologue and glanced over his shoulder at Lavinia. "What did you mean by 'plenty of eggs'?" he asked, his ears turning ruddy. Lavinia gave him a mischievous grin and stepped around him to sit on one of his legs.

"I was wondering when you'd notice that…" she said playfully, sliding her arms around his neck. "You've been back in your true form for nearly a week and you haven't shown me the attention I expected…is our relationship at a standstill?" she asked seriously, playing with the ends of his braided hair. Oonugh's lips parted in surprise and his blush spread from his ears to his face as Lavinia snuggled closer.

Sprissa wandered aimlessly through the crumbled halls of the castle as Lavinia and Oonugh spoke outdoors. Her face had been healed, but her heart still hurt. Lavinia had consoled her as best as she could, and promised that she'd speak to Oonugh about it on her behalf. Sprissa appreciated the effort, but she knew the laws of the Orcs possibly better than her father, and she knew there would be no way around them.

A hand snaked out and grabbed her arm, pulling her backwards a few steps. She gasped as she was pushed against the wall, a noise which was cut short as a mouth covered hers. She broke the kiss with another gasp, this one for breath, and looked into Broud's face as he stared into her eyes. This was the first kiss they'd ever shared, and it felt to Sprissa that they had been robbed of air between them.

"We cannot do this…it is forbidden…" she whispered, her hands unconsciously sliding over his shoulders.

"Then why aren't you stopping me?" Broud responded, moving in to kiss her again. Normally Orcs did not kiss one another, it was an action never adopted by the race. Yet, when an Orc did kiss, they did it in earnest, and meant it from their very core. Broud's hand slid from where he had placed it against the wall to press Sprissa's body against his firmer, sliding it down her skin to her thigh, which he encouraged her to lift and wrap around him. It was the subtle body language of a female Ketra Orc in heat, her way of requesting for a mate. Broud was encouraging her to act as such to give him permission to take her despite their father's denial, and Sprissa found she couldn't stop herself from allowing him to do so.

There was a light gasp from the end of the hallway, and the pair broke away from one another, their hearts leaping into their throats with startlement. At the end of the hall stood Lavinia and Oonugh, Lavinia staring at them in shock with her hands over her mouth and Oonugh's face dark and unreadable.

With a snarl Oonugh's fist connected with Broud's head, snapping it to the side and causing him to fly backwards. Wiping at the blood that began to stream from his mouth, Broud pushed himself to his feet and dove at his father with a bloodcurdling growl. Their hands locked together like battling male Antelope's horns, trying to overpower the other. Oonugh twisted Broud's arm when he least expected it, the bone in his wrist snapping out of joint and pulling a howl of pain from the younger Orc.

Sprissa and Lavinia stood to the side, Lavinia hugging Sprissa protectively; as they watched the two Orcs fight. Oonugh had pulled Broud out into the Inner Courtyard just moments after discovering them, and proceeded to beat him in earnest. Lavinia had tried to step in to stop him, but the commanding look Oonugh had given her left her rooted where she stood. There was something more to this fight than just a simple punishing beating, and Lavinia could not interrupt him this time.

Various members of Haibane and the army began to gather as they fought, some confused as to what could've set father and son off to the point where they were trying to beat each other to a bloody pulp, and others eager to see Broud get beaten down in yet another fist fight.

"Oh for crying…don't you men ever get tired?" Komugi asked bitterly as she and Sharmin emerged from the inner castle.

"Mmm…no, I can't say that we do. Fighting is quite therapeutic you know." Vlad answered her, standing behind them. Sharmin jumped to the side, startled by his presence and Komugi rolled her eyes. "I'm just glad that it's not me this time, those meaty hands of his hurt." He rubbed his side in memory, even though all wounds had been healed by Maeve earlier. "I'm heading to bed; wake me when one of them dies." He said, pushing away from the wall he leaned against and walking back down the hall with a lank stride.

"He's right; most guys become the best of friends after a good fist fight." Gatz added. Both girls turned to look at him wearing matching looks of skepticism, and he blinked. "What? It's true!" he defended his opinion, intimidated by them.

Back in the courtyard, Oonugh circled around Broud, who crouched to the grass, coughing. Oonugh's fist had connected hard with his gut, and the younger Orc's body responded by expelling the contents of his stomach, and blood from the internal wound Oonugh had made.

"Get up." Oonugh commanded, circling him again. He grunted as he kicked Broud in the side as hard as he could. This laid Broud flat once more with a yelp of pain. "Get UP I said." Oonugh commanded louder, kicking him again. There was the crack of bone breaking with this blow, and all within earshot winced.

"Father, stop!" Sprissa cried, trying to step into the fight. Lavinia held her back with a look from Oonugh, and rubbed her arm in comfort.

"Are you not Ketra? Are you not of the strongest Orc race alive?" Oonugh asked, his voice taking on a tone of mockery. "Or are you just like me…tribeless…not belonging to Ketra, not belonging to the Duda-Mara of my father's birth…nothing and worthless in the eyes of the Flame Lord Kakai…" his voice took on a dark, growling edge as he spoke to Broud. He drew his foot back again to kick his son for a third time, a blow that would most likely drive the broken bones in his side into his lungs. As he propelled it forward, Broud's hand shot out and caught it, heaving it upwards with all of his might and knocking Oonugh off of his feet. Before Oonugh could stand, Broud was on top of him, holding him down at his neck and punching him repeatedly in the face.

Oonugh's hands flew up from where they'd splayed, and clapped Broud hard on his ears, stunning him. The pin changed, and Broud found himself on the ground again with Oonugh on him. Before the beating could be returned, Broud reached up and grabbed Oonugh around the neck and held him as he kicked him off with his knees. Oonugh flew over Broud's head and landed hard on his back while Broud pushed himself to his feet. Broud attempted to land a kick on Oonugh in the same manner as he'd been kicked, but Oonugh was surprisingly limber for his bulk, and deftly rolled out of it and to his own feet. The pair launched themselves at one another again, but before they could lock hands, Broud slid down to one leg and kicked his father in the knee. The force of the kick broke the joint, the knee bending backwards. Lavinia let out a shocked cry at the same time as Oonugh shouted in pain. Oonugh seemed to hesitate after the wound, the pain making him forget momentarily to not leave any openings for Broud. The younger Orc was keen on picking this up however, and he punched Oonugh as hard as he could in his gut. Oonugh doubled over, and Broud clasped his hands together and raised them above his head, bringing the combined fist down on the back of his father's neck and sending him flying into the ground. As Oonugh tried to push himself back up Broud let out a desperate noise and cracked him again and again repeatedly, until Oonugh moved no more. There was a moment of stunned silence, the wind blowing lightly through the stuffy interior of the inner courtyard, as Broud stared down at his father's unmoving figure, panting. The moment passed as Broud collapsed to his knees, and Lavinia and Sprissa were the first to dash out to them.

"That's our cue popcorn, let's go." Maeve stated, grabbing Komugi's hand. She released her as Evzen dashed forward from the gathered crowd and began to heal Oonugh. "Oh hello, it looks like you've been replaced." She said smugly, grinning at the Prophet.

"I'm a Prophet nitwit; I'm only backup healing when lazy tarts like you get tired." Komugi snapped, glaring at her.

"Why did you do this, Oonugh? I didn't know they made you that angry." Lavinia murmured after Evzen rolled Oonugh over to treat the wounds to his face and chest. Maeve knelt beside Broud as Sprissa held him upright and began to heal him. To Lavinia's surprise, a tiny, almost unnoticeable smile was gracing the corners of Oonugh's mouth. Her lips parted in surprise, and he pressed a finger against them to keep her from saying anything.

"Broud." He said in the sternest voice he could muster up for an Orc lying in pain on the ground, "I recognize you as a warrior of your own mind. The decisions of my bloodline, the care of my daughter, are all within your hands now." Sprissa and Broud's mouths dropped open in unison and they gawked at Oonugh, who did not look at them. Lavinia looked between the Orcs, not bothering to mask the confusion on her face.

"Did I miss something?" she asked Oonugh as Broud and Sprissa gazed at one another and entered their own world. Oonugh chuckled deep in his throat and pulled her hand to his lips to kiss it.

"He bested in me in combat, thus he must be recognized as the head of my family. He is free to think for himself now, and all decisions regarding Sprissa will be made by him from now on." He said. Lavinia let out a short laugh of relief as he winked at her, and leaned down to hug him gently.

"You lost on purpose, didn't you." She whispered into his ear, recalling when he hesitated after Broud broke his knee.

"I won't tell if you don't." Oonugh whispered in response.

Within her room a bit later, Emixia thrashed in her sleep, her short, white-blonde hair sticking to her face. A battle raged in her dreams, violent and bloody. Within it she watched helplessly as Vlad was tortured and beaten and burned alive. She kept trying to run to him and save him from the brutality he faced, but just when she thought she was getting closer to him, she could still not reach him. She screamed in her mind as the point of a spike erupted from his mouth, and jerked awake in reality from the horror of it.

Swallowing hard she sat up, trying to catch her breath as her heart raced within her chest. She clutched her nightgown at her chest, staring blankly at her bear pelt blanket. Worry gnawing at her insides, she pushed the blanket away and rose from her bed.

Silently she crept through the nearly quiet castle, the stone of the hallways cold beneath her feet. She had one goal in mind, a room set far away from the others near the back of the castle. It had once been a laboratory for the Alchemists that lived in the castle during its lifetime, but was now converted into a bedroom for Vlad.

Judging that he was still awake by the light that flickered from beneath his door, Emixia pushed his door open slowly. Vlad tensed and reached for his swords as the door hinges creaked with its movement, but then relaxed when he saw Emixia on the other side.

"Oh, hello. What brings you over here at this hour, do you need to go for a walk?" Vlad asked, returning to the notepad in front of him. It was full of different equations and mixtures, a notebook left by one of the alchemists of the past. Shaking her head, Emixia approached his bed slowly and knelt on the floor next to it, folding her arms on the mattress next to him and laying her head upon them. She sighed, content to be in his presence, happy that her dream had been a dream and he was alive and well. He lifted a hand from where it laid on the bed and began to stroke her hair as if she were an obedient dog. A lump unexpectedly formed in Emixia's throat and she shut her eyes before any emotion showed on her face.

All was silent for a few moments save for the sound of Vlad's even breathing and the hiss of the lamp wick as it burned. Emixia began to drift off to sleep again, her body relaxing as he continued to stroke her hair. She cared for him from the core of her being, understanding the parts of him that others couldn't see out of their fear of him. He was a confused, scared boy underneath it all, not understanding the calling of the Dark Elf blood within him, much like she had been with the Orc blood. For three years she'd traveled faithfully by his side when he called for her, obediently following his orders which he would reward with moments like this. This was what their relationship was in the end, nothing more than that. The nightmarish image of Vlad being impaled returned to Emixia's mind just as she entered the first stage of sleep, and she jumped up with a gasp. Vlad's attention was on her in an instant, and he tilted his head at her curiously.

"What's the matter, spider bite you?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "Oh goody, is it one of those big purple ones? I hear their venom can make quite the deadly poison…where is it?" he asked, abandoning his book and looking over the edge of the bed for the phantom crawly. With a sob she swallowed halfway through releasing, Emixia fell onto Vlad as he sat back up, knocking him backwards onto the bed. She clung to him as hard as she could, her body trembling as she tried not to cry in front of him. Vlad blinked rapidly as he tried to hold both himself and her up on his elbows, shocked at her sudden closeness. "Are you sick?" Vlad asked, bewildered. Emixia raised her head to look at him in the face, her cheeks red from the tears she fought to release. His face went slack at this sight, never before seeing her look quite this feminine before. She raised her face to his, but before she could kiss him, his hand went between them, and her nose bumped against his palm. She withdrew from him, her eyes large as her face turned red with embarrassment.

"I don't know what's come over you, but you're acting peculiar and I don't think I like it." Vlad said quickly, his voice tinged in nervousness. Emixia swallowed hard and released him from the hug she'd locked him in, and pushed herself off of him.

"Sorry, bad dream." She said, forcing her voice to the gruff tone he was accustomed to. Relief flooded Vlad's face then, and Emixia felt her heart break in two.

"Ahhh…that explains it then, those can be quite disorienting." He said with a smile, nodding. "You should get back to sleep, unless you'd like me to put a pillow in the corner for you here…" he offered, pulling one of the three propped up behind him and holding it out to her. Emixia clenched her jaw as it threatened to tremble, and she shook her head. A dog…that's all she was to him…that's all she'd ever be to him…a loyal lapdog.

"Good night." She said softly in her normal voice. Vlad's eyes widened and he dropped the pillow, catching it in an instant. He was the suspicious type, and was keen on catching any difference in speech patterns and habits. It was the one thing she'd fooled the past three years, but she was exhausted with pretending now. It was no use to pretend…she'd gone as far as she could with that game. With a sad half smile she left his room, shutting his door just as he spoke her name.


	32. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

_The coming storm_

"Ahh Ambika, how beautiful you are." Frintezza complimented as he stepped from behind Narlafayn. She blinked heavy eyelids and found that she was standing in front of a large mirror, dressed in a crimson, strapless ball gown. The bodice was a corset that a short, gray-skinned demon girl was in the process of lacing tightly at the back, and the skirt was made up of clouds of crimson taffeta, tiny, pearl white beads in the pattern of a leafy vine trailing up the skirt to the bodice from the floor. Narlafayn moaned softly and lifted a hand to her head which had begun to spin.

"How did I get here?" she asked, trying to steady herself from wobbling. She sucked in a breath of pain as the demon girl yanked the corset lacing as hard as she could before continuing to thread it through the rivets.

"The food was delicious, was it not? I'm so glad you enjoyed it. It was so nice to have company for dinner for once. Scarlet doesn't care much for human food, you see…" Frintezza continued, ignoring her. He stood next to her and gently lifted her hair and placed it over one shoulder. The gentle scrape of his nails sent goosebumps across Narlafayn's flesh, but it wasn't in pleasure.

"You drugged me." Narlafayn said, wincing at how raspy and groggy her voice sounded. Frintezza gave her reflection a shocked look as he caressed the shoulder he'd bared.

"Ambika, I'm offended and hurt that you would accuse me of such a thing. I have nothing to gain from doing such a thing to your precious body." He said, aghast.

"Done." Scarlet announced as she tied the corset lacing into a bow. "I wish you would've let me shape her into a branch with this thing. It would've been funny." She said with a frown. Frintezza glanced over his shoulder and made a cutting motion with one hand, hissing at her softly to be silent.

"Come now Ambika, before the party begins tomorrow night, I must give you the present I have prepared." The Crown Prince said, leading her gracefully from the changing room.

"What party and present?" Narlafayn asked, putting a hand to her head as the room around her wobbled to and fro. "And why do you keep calling me that name? My name is Narlafayn, not Ambika…" she moaned again and fell against Frintezza's shoulder, dizzy. He continued walking with her, seemingly oblivious to her discomfort.

"Ambika is what you are, my dear…the name of the goddess of destruction in the ancient tongue…I was almost certain that you knew of this." He said in mock surprise. He led her back through the room that was rank with the smell of demons, but where it had been noisy earlier, it was eerily silent now. "As for the party, it is in celebration of your return to us! You don't understand how important you are to those of us who have been waiting for you for so long…" He guided her back into the grand cathedral and led her towards a door placed at the back, just out of sight behind some of the pipes of his organ.

As he placed a hand on the door to push it open, the hammer began to scream inside Narlafayn's mind once again. She pulled away from Frintezza and gripped her hair at the roots. She let out noises of pain and doubled over, feeling as though the hammer were trying to rip free of her body. It began to fight for dominance over her soul, and she flung her head back to scream. She gasped for air and flailed, trying in vain to fight off the hammer as if it were a physical threat.

"Is something amiss, Ambika?" Frintezza inquired politely, watching her calmly as if she were doing nothing more than suddenly showing signs of a stomachache. "You shouldn't fight your true nature any more or that sleepy feeling will keep you unhappy!" he said cheerfully. He grabbed her by her bicep as she attempted to turn and flee, and pulled her back to the door. "Now Ambika, don't be modest, I must give you your gift." He said, his voice turning dark and hostile. Narlafayn struggled against him, one of her pupils nearly covering her eye in black save for a tiny rim of white around the edge.

"Let me go!" she pleaded weakly. She felt as if a war were going on inside of her body, with the noise of the hammer's scream and the feeling of loosing herself in a gaping maw of darkness that sat within her chest. Her body stiffened and the screaming crescendoed in her mind as the door was pushed open, revealing the God Slayer upon its altar inside the room, nearly engulfed in the ethereal flame that surrounded it. Narlafayn's eyes widened as the flashes of dreams where she wielded it cutting down cities and gods played in her minds eye. It ended with the dream of her battle with Terebel, the two meeting blades in a shower of sparks and flares of ethereal fire. The stress upon her body was too much, her non-blackened eye rolled up into her head and she collapsed onto the floor like a stringless marionette.

At the same time, Terebel jerked awake in the room he'd been given in Shizuka's home. He remained lying on his back and searched around the room, trying to identify his surroundings. His eyes were once again normal, his mind free of the grip the darkness that had held it. Letting out a breath he sat up and looked at his hands as if he hadn't seen them for awhile. He didn't feel the presence of the blood swords any longer, and he wondered if they'd disappeared.

He sucked in a pained breath and doubled over until his forehead touched his bent knees as he recalled Ballard's death. A sharp stabbing pain went through his chest as his mind replayed the energy bursting through Ballard's stomach, his body falling to the ground limply after. He opened his eyes as the pain waned, and then lifted his head quickly to glance at his surroundings again. Where was he? How did he get there?

_"Find the bitch, trace her veins and dance in her blood…"_ a dark voice said within his head as he remembered that it was Shizuka whom had brought him there. Terebel winced and pressed the heel of his palm against his forehead, trying to will it away. He'd heard the voice moments before loosing himself after Ballard's death, and he didn't want to loose himself again.

_I need to get out of here…_ he thought, pushing up from the tiny bed. After assembling the black armor he could only suppose Shizuka had given him, he crept from the room and down the darkened hallway towards a glowing red portal that he knew would bring him back to the world he recognized.

In only the next room over from where Terebel had been slumbering, Vuylay and Ryonai laid at the bottom of the cage, still imprisoned. Ryonai slept, slumped against the bars on one side, while Vuylay curled into the corner on the other. He had distanced himself from her as much as he could in the small cage, and fearing another burst of temper like in the castle, Vuylay had tried her best to respect that.

"Cousin-niece." A voice whispered. Vuylay groaned lightly in her sleep and stirred, but did not open her eyes. "Cousin-niece!" the voice whispered more insistently.

"Who are you?" Ryonai's groggy voice demanded, startling Vuylay from sleep instantly. She shot up like a rocket and slammed against the bars farthest away from the front of the cage. In front of her, staring quite curiously was an enormous, glowing white dragon. Some part of Vuylay curiously wondered how such a big creature could fit into Shizuka's room, and the other part wondered why Ryonai wasn't startled.

"You…you were in my room the other day…" Ryonai said, his voice full of wonder. Vuylay looked at him in bewilderment as he shifted away from the side of the cage to sit closer to the dragon. It dawned on Vuylay as she watched Ryonai's face that the dragon must look different to him. She'd often heard that dragons disguise themselves into human form to move about undetected, and she wondered why she couldn't see this form.

"Please stand back, I will set you free." The dragon, whom still appeared to Ryonai as the nude girl with glowing white hair, whispered. Vuylay joined Ryonai at the center of the cage as the dragon girl focused on the bars. In a burst of light they snapped from where they were soddered to the ceiling and floor, leaving an opening big enough for them to slip through. "This way." She whispered, motioning for them to follow.

"You're Aulakiria, the dragon of light, aren't you?" Vuylay finally asked as she led them through the dark hallways. The dragon-girl glanced over her shoulder at Vuylay once before returning her focus to the hallway in front of her. Ryonai's mouth dropped open as the dragon nodded once.

"Yes, and you are Vuylay, half of the daughter of my uncle-brother." Aulakiria responded. Ryonai froze and looked quickly at Vuylay, who glanced to her feet, pressing her lips together.

"What did she mean by that? What else are you hiding from me?" he demanded, his temper flaring. Vuylay winced as he turned to face her and placed his hands on her shoulders to halt her as well.

"Now is not the time for any discussions, I'm sorry." Aulakiria whispered urgently. To Vuylay she nudged them onward gently with her nose, but to Ryonai it appeared as if the girl had pushed them.

"Wait, we can't leave yet." Ryonai said, putting a hand out to halt the two women. "I need to get Shizuka…this place is doing something to her, she needs to be rescued." Vuylay swallowed against the sudden lump in her throat and glanced away from him. His denial of what had transpired broke her heart, but she knew he would not let her comfort him.

"Shizuka is actually her healthiest in this place." Aulakiria said, her voice tinged with confusion. "She needs no rescuing; she is acting no differently than usual." Ryonai scoffed and shook his head, shifting on his feet.

"No, you're wrong see…she's not acting like herself because this place is so dreary…if I get her and take her outside…" he insisted.

"Ryonai…"Vuylay attempted, reaching out to him. She withdrew her hand quickly as he glared at her, and looked away.

"Your mortal lover is making a fool of himself, cousin-niece." Aulakiria stated, looking at Vuylay. To Ryonai she said, "The Shizuka you knew was merely a farce, a game of pretend that the real Shizuka played to keep herself amused until my mother called for her to return to her side. If it is love for her that prompts you to act as such, then I must tell you that you were in love with a lie."

Ryonai's soul seemed to shatter in that moment, with how his expression went slack. He stared blankly at Aulakiria for a moment before walking ahead of them without a word. Vuylay took a deep breath and followed after him, leaving Aulakiria to watch them curiously for a moment before following as well.

They walked for what seemed like forever down a hallway that never turned. Occasionally they would pass a door in the smooth obsidian wall, but it was always shut tight. Finally at the end of the hall there was a red glowing portal shaped like an arched doorway. It looked like the bloody membrane that covered babies as they formed, and it turned Vuylay's stomach to look at it.

"Go through here, and you'll find yourself back in your land." Aulakiria whispered, motioning to the portal. Without a word, Ryonai stepped through the portal. There was a snap similar to an electrical jolt, and he disappeared.

"Why are you helping us anyway? You're a dragon, a daughter of Shilen." Vuylay questioned in his stead, narrowing her eyes at the glowing creature in front of her. Aulakiria tilted her head slightly, surprised by Vuylay's question.

"Long ago I lost faith in my mother's plans. I act on my own whims, and have my own plan for the future." She answered honestly and without malice. "Do not concern yourself as to what that may be, for it will not affect you." She added. "Now go, he will need a companion soon."

"I'm not so sure he wants a companion in me, though." Vuylay muttered as she stepped into the membrane-like portal. There was a snap that caused her to shut her eyes in a wince, and when she opened them again, she was standing in the mountainous landscape of Aden once more. The sun was just rising, casting a golden light over the land.

"Let's go." Ryonai said darkly, walking on ahead of her. Vuylay took a breath and let it out slowly, watching him with worry for a moment before hugging herself and moving to follow him.

Narlafayn sat in a high-backed chair in front of the podium that supported the keyboard of Frintezza's organ. She leaned precariously to one side like a limp doll, both of her arms on the arms of the chair. She stared out at nothing, her eyes glassy, as Frintezza arranged her hair to frame her face and trail down her chest.

"Perfect. You are the very vision of an innocent beauty, Ambika; much like my Scarlet was when I first contracted her." He said as he arranged the wide skirt of her crimson ball gown. Narlafayn did not respond or move as he knelt to smooth the ends of her skirt before standing and glancing over her with a critical eye. Her entire body felt heavy, as if her blood were suddenly laced with metal. Her mind was blessedly devoid of thought or the screaming of the hammer. She was like the living doll she resembled at that moment, not thinking, not feeling, just living.

"Why is she like that? It annoys me." Scarlet said from behind Frintezza, scowling at Narlafayn. Frintezza nodded once, pleased with the image Narlafayn presented, and turned away from her.

"Because my dear Scarlet, the annoying soul attached to the Weapon of Despair is being stubborn about relinquishing its control of the body." Frintezza stated as he strode across the cathedral room towards the doors at the other side. "The hammer calls for that sword you see; it was forged with that tiny bit of liquid metal from the original hammer that Shilen kept. I have no worries though, just so long as she's kept close to the sword, her soul will soon die as the hammer's power increases and then all will go as planned." He began to hum cheerfully as he walked through the hellish room. "We must make ourselves presentable for our guests now, Scarlet, they shall be arriving soon."

"You look pitiful." The deep voice of Gran Kain said bitterly. Narlafayn slowly shifted her unfocused eyes towards the dark mass that was slowly taking the shape of the god of chaos. He pushed back his hood to uncover his head as he watched her with a hard gaze. The hammer began to tremble in fright within her, a feeling so intense that it extended into her. He took a step towards her with one hand outstretched as if to grab her, then jumped back with a hiss of pain. Clutching his hand at his wrist he looked down at his palm to find it smoldering as if he'd put it into a fire. "You dare to lash out against me?" he asked her, his voice a low growl.

"No, it's the sword." Narlafayn answered weakly. She didn't know how she knew the answer; perhaps it was the hammer speaking through her. Gran Kain narrowed his eyes and withdrew his hand into his sleeve. He began to pace back and forth in front of her along an invisible line made by the reach of the power of the God Slayer. He inspected her face as he paced, and then finally paused in thought.

"You are dying." He stated. Narlafayn drew in a weak breath for a sigh and let it out slowly.

"So? Isn't that what everyone wants? It's this thing inside of me that everyone's after, isn't it?" Narlafayn responded, her voice bland and tired despite the bite her words held.

"Not entirely, it would be extremely unfortunate for my weapon to gain control of a body. It cannot survive alone; surely you understand this…it must be controlled at all times." He paused to compose himself, and then stepped into the onslaught of power surrounding her. His skin began to smolder in specks like paper held over a great heat. Bearing it, he approached her chair and knelt down in front of her and took one of her hands.

"I can save you from this fate you've allowed yourself to be caught in." he said gently, his red eyes staring into her violet. "Pledge yourself to me, and I will take you back to my realm as the goddess you were meant to be." Narlafayn continued to stare blankly for a few moments until his words made sense. She straightened her head to look at him, blinking rapidly in bewilderment.

"You mean the hammer, right?" she questioned, staring back at him. A patch of skin on his cheek had smoldered away to nearly nothing, exposing muscles and tendons and the teeth in his mouth underneath. These too began to smolder and burn as he knelt in front of her.

"No, I speak to you, the one whom was born with two souls." He said seriously without blinking. Narlafayn frowned at him, her strength returning little by little now that the hammer was no longer feeding off of the sword out of fear of its former master in front of her. "The hammer was once supposed to be a goddess, just like Einhasad and I, made from the same raw materials we were. Einhasad became jealous, for how could she compete with a creature of destruction for my affections? In that jealousy she stole the soul of the goddess of destruction as she slept, waiting to be born, and placed it within a tool to be used at a whim. I wish to right that wrong…and take you with me back to the place where you were supposed to rule from the dawn of creation…at my side." He caressed her cheek with a hand that was fast becoming bones, and Narlafayn's breath quickened. The hammer purred in her mind at his touch, the pleasure of being touched by its master extending into her as the fear did. For a fleeting second she considered his offer, dozens of dark thoughts coursing through her at what she'd do with the power over destruction. Remembering Terebel's prophesy as the one who was born to destroy the world, she shook her head quickly. If he was not allowed to live, then how could she?

"No, I will not go." She said firmly, shifting in the chair to sit up straighter. Gran Kain withdrew his hand. "Why should I believe that I would be allowed to live at your side when your very flesh and blood must die when he harbors the same powers? I refuse to believe that my life, and not control of this hammer is in your best interests." He stood and stared down at her with narrowed eyes for a heartbeat before he began to dissipate into a shadowy mist.

"You _will_ come with me, Ambika. I will return later when you've had time to think on it." He said, his voice echoing around her as he disappeared, leaving her alone once more in the cathedral.

Ryonai and Vuylay trudged for hours across hills and rocky landscape. Vuylay did not recognize her surroundings, but Ryonai seemed to, and led the way. The air was chilly for summertime, and Vuylay hugged herself to keep from shivering. She was weary, having not gotten much sleep while in the cage, and it was hard for her to stay focused on where she was walking. The toe of her boot caught the edge of a jagged rock sticking out of the ground, and with a gasp of startlement, she fell forward. She slammed into something hard before she met the ground, and quickly raised her head to find that Ryonai had turned around to catch her in time.

"You should be more careful." He said, gazing down at her without expression. Vuylay swallowed, her cheeks rosy, and nodded. He waited until she was steady on her feet before turning away and continuing on the path he'd been following through the stiff bushes dotting the land. Vuylay's heart jumped into her throat, and a single, desperate voice began to protest in her mind.

"Ryonai wait…" she called, stopping him mid-step. He did not turn to face her, but she could tell he was waiting for her to continue. "I know it's hard to believe considering she and I share the same soul, but I am nothing like her. I may feel her physical feelings, but everything emotional, everything felt with my heart is my own. Everything I felt before hasn't changed now; in fact it's grown if anything, so please…"

"There's a hunter's resting cabin up ahead. Let's stop there for a few hours to sleep." Ryonai interrupted, his voice low. His voice was rough and weary, too exhausted with his own emotions to respond to her. Vuylay bit her bottom lip and withdrew into herself a bit, embarrassed and stung that she'd just been cut short while opening herself up to him. She nodded, sniffling as she tried to see past the tears welling in her eyes, and took up a pace behind him as he began to walk once more.

It was nearly afternoon when they reached the cabin, which was dusty and covered in cobwebs. Ryonai had to slam against the door a few times before it popped open, revealing an interior covered in a layer of dust thick enough to be mistaken as gray snow. Vuylay coughed and waved a hand in front of her face in an attempt to clear the air, and made a sour face as she realized it only helped stir the dust more. As Ryonai went about locating sleeping mats that weren't covered in dust, Vuylay struggled with the windows to let fresh air in and some of the dust out.

"Here's hoping we wake before dusk." Ryonai murmured as he tossed a single-person sized mat towards her. It landed with a cloud of dust, making Vuylay lean her head out the window to cough. When she turned back around to snap at him, he'd already lay down on his own mat which was placed several inches away from hers, and appeared to have fallen asleep. Sighing heavily, Vuylay shed her travel pack and the skirt and half-jacket to her Divine robes, and laid down on her own.

As tired as she was, she found that, once on the mat, she couldn't fall asleep. She lay on her side, facing the window, and watched as the leaves from the short weed-tree outside make patterned shadows on the wall. She shut her eyes as she heard Ryonai shifting on the mat behind her, thinking he thought she was asleep and was going to get up. She made her breath even and deep, counting the seconds until she felt it safe for her to open her eyes again. She jumped as his hands slid around her waist, and the length of his body pressed against her back. He pressed his face into the spot where her neck and shoulders met as his hands separated and slid over her body. One went for her chest, and the other for the spot between her legs, and she gasped lightly.

"Why are you embarrassed? We're the only ones here." He said in a husky voice in her ear as she bit her lip to hold in the pleasured noises he was bringing out of her. He licked the edge of her ear, and she finally let out the moan she'd been holding in.

"W…wait…we shouldn't be doing this now…" Vuylay attempted to say weakly, trying to pull away from his caressing fingers. He pinned her to his chest, the hand below her waist disappearing momentarily as he prepared himself.

"Isn't this what you wanted all along? Me all to yourself?" Ryonai asked, his voice tinged with bitterness. Vuylay gasped again as he shifted her underpants aside to give himself access to her, and entered her roughly.

He made love to her as roughly as he could, not caring that he was bruising her. With her hair down, and while they were engaged in this act, she sounded and looked exactly like Shizuka, and it made him angry. He wanted to hurt Shizuka like she'd hurt him, wanted to make her feel every ounce of pain that his heart felt. But yet…it wasn't Shizuka whom straddled him now, it was someone else, someone whom had never caused him any harm.

"Stop…" Vuylay finally managed to say, placing a hand on his stomach to halt all movement. "Stop looking at me so hatefully…If you despise me that much, then lets just stop." she glanced away from him, tears dripping from her eyes and speckling his cheeks. She knew that all he saw was Shizuka now; that was possibly all he'd ever see when he looked at her, despite their color differences.

The veil of darkness that had descended Ryonai's soul suddenly lifted, and he looked at her as if seeing her for the first time. It hit him in a moment of realization that warmed his heart, that being with him meant something to her. Somewhere, all of these years, he'd always deluded himself to thinking that since she was a Dark Elf; she only cared for him as a conquest. It never really occurred to him what her true feelings were…until now. Here was a woman who honestly and truly felt every feeling that he thought Shizuka had felt…and he'd been cruel to her since day one.

"I don't want to stop." He said softly, reaching up to cup her cheek. Pressing her to him with one hand at the small of her back he sat up to kiss her. For once he kissed her in earnest, letting himself feel all of her feelings for him instead of blocking them out with his arrogance.

Their lovemaking began anew, this time gentle with this new realization of emotions. Ryonai savored her, from the curves of her body to the way her hair felt and smelled. As he neared his peak, the image of a woman with hair the color of Vuylay's only streaked with pink appeared before him with her back facing him. From the middle of her back sprung wings of the purest white, and as her hands reached out, two children materialized in the air to take them. He snapped back to reality as the two children, one with white-pink hair and the other with brown streaked in white turned to glance at him. A tear escaped one eye as an overwhelming feeling of grief hit him straight in his heart. Was that a vision of the future? If so, where was he? Why wasn't he in the image with the woman and children?

Despite this sadness, Ryonai continued. They reached climax together, Vuylay's body jerking in what almost seemed like a futile attempt at escaping him as he released. He collapsed upon her heavily, exhausted from the act. Vuylay hugged him close, one of her hands finding his and threading their fingers together.

"I love you." She murmured, nuzzling into his shoulder. _I suppose it should be safe…_she thought, shifting beneath him anxiously.

"I know." He responded, the tone of his voice making the words mean so much more than what they seemed. And so the pair slept, content with each other, knowing that this moment of peace would pass quicker than they'd like, and soon they'd once again be thrust into war.

"So do you think we're going to win this thing?" Sharmin asked Valimos as they hauled weapons from the blacksmith to the inside of the castle. An uneasy feeling had been eating at her since waking that morning, and she sought a comforting opinion from anyone, even someone she didn't know well.

"Of course we're going to, we've got the numbers and they don't. You saw how tiny their army was in comparison to ours. This war will be over by tonight." He said arrogantly, smirking at her.

Within marching distance, as the pair walked into the castle, a large mass of bodies was making their way towards the Eastern Border gates. The Elmorean army stretched as far as the eye could see, armor and weapons glinting in the afternoon sunlight. At the head of the group marched Ryann, a dark smirk on her face as she anticipated the battle to come. They outnumbered the Aden army she knew, and the taste of victory would be hers before the night was over.

Far above the war-strewn land, Sayha's eyes opened. He sat up on the altar he'd laid down upon weeks before, and stretched his stiff muscles. Synshlee stood at the foot of the rectangular slab of rock, watching him patiently. She held his shoulder guards, and waited for his orders.

"The seals are undone. They will join us in this one battle, and then the choice of remaining is up to them." Sayha stated, holding his hands out for his armor. Synshlee nodded and handed it to him, then turned away as he assembled it to his body, a smile upon her face. Soon she would be reunited with Oonugh, and they would begin their long eternity together before the night was through.


	33. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

_The long night_

"Hey." Sharmin said in greeting as she climbed to the top of the watchtower where Leon sat. He jumped, startled by her arrival, and then relaxed. She smiled warmly at him and handed a tin cup full of coffee, and then settled on the floor next to him. "Anything interesting going on?" she asked as she took a sip from her own cup.

"Absolutely nothing." Leon responded, taking a drink himself. "I wish the sun would go down behind the mountains so I could see what was coming, it's a bit disconcerting to be blinded during a prime time for an attack." It was too warm to really be drinking such a cold weather beverage, but coffee would give them the kick they needed to stay awake long into the night. It was a special blend of beans grown by the Dwarves, and only used by the other races during sieges or wars because of its potency. Scared that they would fail a test during their school life, a human mystic once consumed some of the Dwarven coffee in an attempt to stay awake to study. Because they were not active, the coffee remained in their bloodstream and they eventually had to be treated at the Ivory Tower. The coffee simply did not diminish, and even though their body was tired, their brain was not, and they stayed awake for weeks.

"I wish I knew if Ryonai was alright…" Sharmin murmured, staring out over the outer courtyard. Leon nodded in agreement and took another drink. A moment of silence passed between them as they watched the outer courtyard. Sharmin was happy that Leon was speaking to her again, it just didn't seem right to not have him in her life, even as a friend.

"So how are things with you and Gatz?" he asked, breaking the silence. Sharmin suddenly found her cup interesting, and rolled it between her hands.

"We're…great, actually." She said, blushing fiercely. Leon chuckled as she took a large drink of her coffee, clearly displaying her nervousness at discussing her current love life with her former crush.

"I'm glad, you two compliment each other well." He said, patting her head like an older brother. She held her cup up to her face as she drained it, hiding behind it like a child. Leon chuckled at her as she became choked from drinking too fast, and patted her lightly on her back to help her clear her lungs. She set her cup down as the remainder of the coffee slopped out onto her legs with the coughing and Leon's patting, and stood up to brush her legs off. Movement caught her attention in the courtyard, and she launched herself at the window with a gasp.

"RYONAI!" she exclaimed. Leon was on his feet in a minute and joined her at the window. Trudging slowly towards the castle was Ryonai and Vuylay. Both looked bedraggled and weary, but they walked holding each other's hands with smiles on their faces.

"Praise be to Einhasad…" Leon murmured, a smile forming on his face. "Go get them; I'll get whatever member of your clan I can find first." Sharmin nodded, and the two split into opposite directions.

"Shizuka, I wish to speak with you." Valakas said, entering her bedroom. Shizuka looked up at the red dragon in human form with a cross expression. She had been standing in front of the damaged cage, scowling at the empty floor of its interior.

"What is it?" she snapped. Valakas was taken aback slightly, never before had she used such a harsh tone of voice with him. He shifted on his feet while he searched for the proper way to word his question.

"Why…have you not chosen me?" he asked carefully, staring into her eyes. Shizuka's eyebrows shot up in an interested manner, and she turned to face him. "Am I not worthy enough to father a child to release my own mother from her prison? What makes those two Elves exceptional where I am not?" Shizuka blinked once at him before bursting into hysterical giggles.

"What on earth makes you think we're compatible to bear young together? I do not lay _eggs_, Valakas; I cannot carry your offspring." She laughed. Valakas swallowed and looked away, hurt by her reaction.

"Physical appearances aside, I am borne of two gods, I can change myself to father children with whom I please. Antharas has done this." He said, not looking at her. Shizuka shook her head with a bitter smile upon her face, her hair waving back and forth with the movement.

"I want pretty children, Valakas. I seriously doubt you can provide me with those without them having to learn magic at a young age. You may be borne of two gods, but it was an incestual joining that placed you within mother's womb in the first place." She said with a cruel chuckle. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take Amari out to play. Lindvior is unable to join me at this time, so I would like for you to accompany us as our protection." She breezed past him to dress, ignoring the dark scowl of hatred upon his face. With a growl, he slammed his fist into the obsidian wall, cracking it with the force and leaving a hole.

Vlad jaunted through the halls of the Devastated Castle with a spring in his step. He whistled merrily, the noise carrying off of the stones and amplifying it. Not only had his leader returned, but he'd found a formula in the alchemists' texts that may have been an elixir to prolong life. It required a set of components to create that would be easy for him to procure with Emixia's help. Her room was his destination to inform her of where they were going to travel after the battle was over.

"Puppy, let's go! I have some great news and plans for you!" he said happily, opening her door without knocking. He yelped and jumped backwards as he found not Emixia sitting calmly on her bed, but Maeve. "What are you doing in here? I am in the correct room, right?" he asked, glancing out the door at the hallway. "It sure looks like her room…" he murmured to himself.

"Emixia has gone on ahead to listen to Ryonai's battle plans." Maeve said smoothly, standing. Vlad frowned at this and scratched his head.

"Why would she do that? She's in my unit, I'm not debriefing for another ten minutes." He wondered aloud, crossing his eyes as he scratched his nose in thought.

"Simple, she requested to be switched into his unit. You have one of the Shilen Knights now." She replied, breezing past him and out the door. Vlad stuttered incomprehensibly at Maeve's back, gesturing to Emixia's bed before following after the Elder.

"Preposterous! Why on earth would she do that?" Vlad exclaimed finally, jogging to catch up with the fast moving Dark Elf. "There must be some mistake, she would never do something like that; she's my loyal…"

"Loyal what, Vlad? Pet? Your dog that you play a game of 'fetch the live person and bring me back a dead body', with?" Maeve snapped, turning to face him. Vlad was taken aback by the sight of her temper, as it was rare for her to loose it, especially with him. "If you hadn't noticed, my dear ward, she's a woman. As such she has all of the feelings and reactions that a woman has when she's near the person she loves, understand?" Vlad's face turned red as she spoke, and she knew that she was getting through to him, despite his best efforts at tuning her out. "And for whatever reason, Shilen only knows, is that she chose YOU as the person she fell in love with."

"You've gone mad, Maeve, she doesn't have any feelings like that! She's nothing more than a nutty, emotionless killing machi…" Vlad let the sentence drop as Maeve turned to glare at him hatefully. He swallowed hard, his prominent Adam's apple bobbing up and down with the movement. He couldn't comprehend what Maeve was telling him, this Emixia she spoke of surely wasn't the one he knew!

"Tell me Vlad, did you ever bother to sit down and actually talk with her?" Maeve asked, shifting on her feet to lift a hand and pick at her fingernails.

"Once or twice, she wasn't much of a conversationalist…" Vlad began, relieved that the conversation seemed to be changing. He froze again as Maeve's glare returned.

"She wasn't as crazy as she seemed, Vlad. She was playing pretend because she knew that if she DIDN'T, you would've tossed her to the roadside like a sack of your failed experiments. Which, in the end, I don't blame her for doing because now I know you utterly lack any type of human compassion ANYWHERE within that rock hard skull of yours now that I see that you can't even find the decency to comfort a girl when she's OBVIOUSLY distressed. I think she's earned that little from you, you reprehensible lout!" Maeve spun on her heel and marched away from him as she finished, her heeled boots clacking as she walked quickly down the hallway. Vlad stood dumbly as she disappeared out the door leading to the Inner Courtyard, his mouth open in both confusion and bewilderment.

"Well, this is a nice way to start an evening of battle." He finally said, his voice bitter.

Within the Final Sepulcher, Narlafayn shifted and groaned in the chair. She opened her eyes slowly, sleep finally fading away. Not long after Gran Kain's presence had faded she'd been overpowered by the hammer and sword once more and had passed out. Now she awoke, strangely refreshed, and sat up straight in the chair to massage a kink out of her shoulder. She glanced around the room curiously, finding that the God Slayer's presence had nearly faded, as if it had been moved far enough away from her to give her mind back to her. The hammer too, was quiet.

Her dress whispered as she pushed herself to her feet, and she drew it up slightly so she could walk without tripping on it. Frintezza had not supplied her with shoes, so she could clearly feel that the stone beneath her feet was warm. She could hear voices beyond the door into the cathedral room, and she opened it a crack to peek out. She drew in a sharp breath and covered her mouth at what she saw.

Frintezza stood in the center of the room beyond, his arms outstretched as he greeted the hellish crowd gathering in front of him. Demons of all manner of sizes and shapes, colors and forms gathered around him. Some were as human looking as Scarlet, while others were barely identifiable as a creature capable of thought. Some looked to be masses of organs pulsing while others were covered in hard scales and spikes. Bile rose in Narlafayn's throat as a wave of their smell wafted through the door, and she pushed herself away with her hand over her mouth. She had to escape…there was no way she was going to remain amongst those creatures. She would never live if they got their hands upon her.

_"Yes, escape."_ The guttural voice of the hammer agreed. _"Ceiling, climb."_ It commanded. Narlafayn glanced overhead and shivered. The ceiling was hundreds of feet over her head; the only way she could remotely get near it was to climb through the opera-like seating in the walls around her. Hoping Frintezza would be a while yet, she raced for the doorway that would lead to the stairs taking her to the seating and hopefully, her freedom.

With Ryonai reinstated at the head of the first force, plans to attack went along as originally planned. The army was eerily silent as they rushed about getting prepared for battle, and even more so as they marched towards the border gates. This would be the final battle that would change the tide of war, they knew. If they failed here, war would be brought to the rest of the countryside. The force at the Border Outpost to the west had already fallen, and the rest of the forces left in Aden had to be rushed towards the Ivory Tower to stop it. Those left at the Eastern Border Gates would not receive any back up, they were on their own.

Sharmin had broken formation to march near her sister, apprehensive about the coming fight still. She walked next to Komugi, the girls holding hands like children, worry clearly written on her face. Even Zaken, whom had seen his fair share of battle, seemed to be anxious about the fight and walked with his arm around Komugi. At the center of the both of them, Komugi felt like everyone's security blanket, but for once, she didn't mind it so much.

"Sharmin." Gatz called softly as he moved away from Vlad's unit to join her. He jogged past the Unit leader who growled deep in his throat.

"I wish you people would stop breaking formation. Don't you know the meaning of military discipline?" Vlad said bitterly, narrowing his eyes as Gatz joined Sharmin. Alucard exchanged looks with Leon, as Vlad had been acting increasingly irritated with the entire world as the afternoon turned to dusk. The bloody moon would rise soon, and would be their only light as they fought this battle.

"What's up?" Sharmin asked. Gatz swallowed nervously and slipped his hand through Sharmin's other, holding it as well. Komugi peered around her sister's body to look at him, raising an eyebrow at the nervousness he displayed. Gatz swallowed to wet his suddenly dry throat, and squeezed Sharmin's hand tightly.

"When we're victorious and this is all over…do you think we could…" he began, and then cleared his throat as his voice cracked. Sharmin tilted her head at him curiously, confused by his sudden nervousness. On her other side, Komugi's mouth dropped open in disbelief, knowing exactly where the conversation was headed. Gatz took a composing breath and raised Sharmin's hand to his face, where he kissed her knuckles as he looked her straight in the eye.

"When this is over, will you marry me?" he asked, his voice warm. Sharmin tripped over her own feet then, crashing to the ground and taking Komugi with her. Komugi grabbed Zaken to try and save herself from falling, and he too crashed to the ground precariously next to them. Gatz blinked and glanced around in embarrassment as Vlad's unit had to shift to walk around the pile of people. Some gave them looks of disgust for what they perceived to be goofing off at such a critical time, while others giggled and patted Gatz on the shoulders in congratulations for his bravery.

"Wh…what?" Sharmin managed out as she tried to push herself to her feet without letting go of Komugi's hand. She pressed the Prophet's hand into the pebble-ridden dirt, earning a hiss from the younger girl as she snatched her hand away. The jostle in leverage caused Sharmin to crash to the ground again, and Gatz tried not to laugh at the awkwardness of the trio.

"He asked you to marry him; do you need me to repeat the entire sentence for you?" Komugi said more than asked, her voice tinged in bitterness at being wounded. She pressed Sharmin into the ground in return as she used her as leverage to stand.

"Horrible timing for an intimate moment, I have to add." Zaken grumbled, brushing the dirt off of his pants. "I'd prefer to not be included in those." He added.

"Stop being such a grouch and give Gatz some credit or I'll start expecting the same question from you." Komugi snapped, narrowing her eyes at him. Zaken's face turned red and he cleared his throat.

"We should rejoin the formation." He said quickly, strangely willing to be obedient to Ryonai's orders all of a sudden. Komugi lowered her eyelids at him in an annoyed stare for a moment before turning to look at Sharmin as Gatz helped her to her feet.

"I get to be maid of honor." She said, putting her foot down in a deciding manner. Sharmin's eyes nearly popped from her head as she looked at her, her cheeks red with a blush.

"I haven't said anything yet! Who said I'll say yes?" she exclaimed shrilly.

"You mean you won't?" Gatz questioned, hurt slipping into his voice. Sharmin turned quickly to look at him and opened her mouth to speak.

"Oh come off it, you know you're not going to say no." Komugi said, rolling her eyes. Zaken grabbed Komugi by the arm as Sharmin suddenly found her feet interesting, and shifted uncomfortably.

"My little fool, we've overstayed our welcome in this conversation…" he said, toting her along to rejoin their unit. Komugi struggled against the hold he had on her, protesting. "I know it's a hard concept for you to grasp, but there are some things you're just not meant to be privy to, this being one of them." He said, leaning down to speak quietly into her ear. Komugi opened her mouth in disbelief that he'd be telling her something was none of her business, but then shut it again.

"…yeah…you're right." She said sullenly, logic winning the battle in her head. A tiny empty feeling opened up in her heart as she glanced over her shoulder to where Sharmin and Gatz stared at each other as the army passed them by. Sharmin was going to leave her again, but this time, Komugi knew it was right.

"So…?" Gatz prompted after Komugi was out of earshot. Sharmin's head shot up to look at him, her cheeks permanently stained red. She avoided his gaze and began to play with her hair nervously.

"I…" she began, her heart pounding. Gatz placed a gentle hand on her cheek to turn her gaze back to him. He searched her eyes gently, caressing her cheek with his thumb. So many things were racing through her head at that point, and she struggled to remember his original question. A sudden gush of happiness burst forth from her chest and her throat clenched up as tears pricked her eyes. "Yes." She finally answered. She broke into a smile so broad it made her cheeks hurt, and Gatz mirrored it. He kissed her once in happiness and pressed her against his chest. Sharmin winced, as embracing in armor wasn't the most comfortable of hugs, but hugged him back with all of her might.

"Hey, lovebirds, back to your unit, we're almost there." A gruff voice from the second force said as they passed. Sharmin and Gatz broke apart with identical blushes, and Sharmin giggled nervously. Beaming at Gatz she took his hand, and the two raced back to Vlad's unit and slipped back into formation. She gave Komugi the thumbs up as the younger girl turned to glance over her shoulder at her, and Komugi squealed loudly and hugged Zaken enthusiastically. Confused, Zaken blinked and nearly tripped trying to walk straight with her latched onto him. It was this little bit of happiness that those around them needed, the coming battle would bring heartache so great, it was this moment that people would remember to keep from loosing themselves in the grief.

Panting hard as the corset refused to give her lungs enough room to expand, Narlafayn dashed across the very top floor of the opera-style seating on the walls. A great stained-glass skylight was visible from here, and she took only a moment to let hope surge through her before dashing towards the railing. Without a thought or a glance at her surroundings, she lifted her skirt and stepped over the polished marble railing and shifted her foot until she was sure she had a stable foothold.

The seats in the wall were made of the finest crushed velvet, and a black plush carpet lined each seating box. It was as if Frintezza wished to put on fine shows for the high class citizens of the world, but it looked to Narlafayn as if none of the seats had ever been used. She idly wondered how he managed to convince people to build him such a grand room underneath the mausoleum of his ancestors, but a tiny voice in her head said that his contractors were probably not human.

She grunted lightly as she inched across the rounded decorative ledge, her hands cramped and aching as she kept a hold of the railing as she moved. Gravity was weighing in heavily on her after her dash up to the top, and her arms shook as she tried to keep herself from falling backwards.

Long, polished marble pillars jutted from the ceiling like stalactites, and were the focus of Narlafayn's desperate travel. Reaching the end of the decorative ledge, Narlafayn swallowed hard and shut her eyes, trying to fight off the trembling that wished to travel to her entire body. She hadn't glanced down fully, but what she saw in her peripheral vision left her terrified. After taking a few composing breaths, Narlafayn crouched slightly and, at the same time, released the railing behind her and launched herself at the closest of the pillars. She scrambled as her hands closed around the polished marble, trying desperately to find some sort of grip on its surface. Her heart leapt into her throat as she began to slide down, the surface too smooth for her to hold.

_Escape, yes._ The voice of the hammer said. A burning sensation seared her palms, and she gasped in pain at it. She blinked eyes that she had previously squint shut in fear rapidly as she realized she was no longer falling, and glanced at her hands. The hammer had pushed just enough of its destructive powers into her hands to burn hand-sized holes into the pillar and had given her something to hang on to.

_I thank you,_ she thought, shutting her eyes in relief. Opening them again, she put on a determined face and began to climb slowly; her hands burning new places to hang on to while her feet found the old ones. She paused for breath as her head finally brushed the panes of colored glass above her head, exhausted but still determined. Straining, as the strength had long since fled her arms, Narlafayn raised a trembling hand up to touch the glass above her head. As she gently caressed it, it melted away as if she were water touching sugar-spun candy. Creating a hole big enough for herself, she grabbed on to the metal panes the glass was set into, and finally pulled herself to freedom.

"Alright men, this will be the final battle that will make or break this war!" the Lord of Dion's voice rang out over the mass of bodies gathered below him. He, Ryonai and the third force leader, a subordinate of the Lord of Giran, stood on a boulder to address their army. "Loosing to those Elmorean scum is not an option! I don't care if you might see a former friend or lover with them, as of today they are your enemy, and you will treat them as such!" the Dion lord continued, "Failure to do so is treason, ladies and gentlemen! Show your alliance to Aden by killing as many as you can! Display your loyalty by proudly wearing the blood of those who dare try to attack your king!"

"Can you believe this guy?" Valimos murmured to Alucard, whom nodded in agreement. As the Lord of Dion continued, a scout breathlessly arrived to where the army was making a brief encampment. He hissed quietly and tapped on the Lord of Dion, who batted him away in annoyance, not bothering to break his speech for information he felt he already knew. A frightened look on his face, the scout instead turned to Ryonai, who listened intently as the elf whispered in his ear.

"We are outnumbered!" the third force leader suddenly shouted hysterically, his voice louder than the Dion Lord's. There were several gasps and murmurs of confusion amongst the mass below, and the Lord of Dion looked at him in anger. "They're going to kill us before we have a chance, we'll never survive!" he whimpered, sinking to his knees and hugging himself. More protesting voices started to arise, and questions began to sound from the crowd.

"Is this true?" someone shouted the loudest.

"Of course it isn't, Aden's forces are the biggest and the best…" the Dion Lord began, trying to regain control of the group.

"Yes, it is true." Ryonai said this time, his voice calm and even. Again the voices of protest began to rise, and the Dion Lord grabbed Ryonai roughly by the shoulder.

"I don't know what you think you're doing boy, but the King put ME in charge over the lot of you, how dare you undermine my authority!" the man growled. Ryonai lifted the Lord's hand up and let it drop away from him, disgusted that the man would even touch him.

"By all means then, listen to the scout and then tell us what to do." Ryonai said evenly, narrowing his eyes at him. The Dion Lord glanced at the scout, who relayed what he had seen in a low voice, trembling at what his eyes had witnessed. The Dion Lord paled and stumbled slightly with this news, crouching to the ground to lean heavily on his knees. "Well? Your orders sir?" Ryonai asked coldly, watching as the man's carefully built up ego deflated.

"How could this have happened? There's no way that there are that many people in Elmore…" the Dion lord whispered, his skin taking on the color of old paper. He looked up to Ryonai with real fear in his eyes. "We're going to die." He said in a tiny voice. Ryonai frowned, instantly questioning how this man gained Dion castle with this little faith in his subordinates.

"There's always a way to win, even if you're outnumbered." Ryonai stated almost angrily.

"You had a dragon cheat your way into your throne; boy…everyone knows you would've lost otherwise." The Dion Lord said in a raspy voice, not breaking eye contact with him. "And it's only through fear of that dragon that the world leaves your land be now. You want to call us another one to help win this battle or shall I call the retreat?" He stood heavily, his moment of immobilizing fear gone, and glared at the younger man who glared back just as hatefully.

"Instead of ordering them around, why don't you ask them what they wish to do? If they wish to continue on despite the odds or run like cowards back to the safety of the city which won't be safe for very much longer if we leave here." Ryonai spat, his body trembling with anger. So the world thought that he had called the dragon himself to cover the weakness of his own clan. This made him alive with rage, and he began to wish, somewhere in his mind, that he'd never agreed to go to the Garden of Eva with Shizuka in the first place to even contact the beast.

The Lord of Dion first stared at Ryonai without emotion, and then began to laugh loudly. Some of those close to the boulder upon which they stood stopped talking to stare at him, worrying that he'd lost his mind with the sudden news. "Boy, you have no idea how to lead an army, do you?" the Lord guffawed. He doubled over slightly with one hand at his gut, and leaned his other heavily on Ryonai's shoulder. "You don't ASK them anything! Once they get together in that great big group, they're no better than mindless cattle set out to pasture! If you don't tell them when to eat, sleep, breathe and piss, they'll do whatever the hell they want!" he paused to wipe tears from his eyes, oblivious to the look of horrified hatred that Ryonai was giving him. "Aden didn't become the great country it is by giving the peons a choice, friend. It became great because of the men who were leading those armies."

Hearing enough, Ryonai jerked away from the Lord of Dion, and took a step forward. Seeing his movement, the crowd silenced immediately and turned their attention onto him. "What the third force Captain says is true, we are outnumbered somehow by Elmore's forces at this time." He began, his voice and posture giving away nothing of his emotions. The protesting began anew, but was silenced again as Ryonai raised a hand slightly. "However, there is always a way the tide of war can be changed, even when the odds are against us." He winced slightly as he heard several murmurs of 'dragon!' amongst those below him, and the Lord of Dion began to snicker again.

"You have two choices, ladies and gentlemen, you can retreat back to Aden and hope that there is a Plan B there, or you can stay here and fight. I'm not saying we'll win should you stay, as the gods seem to have something against Aden's fortune during this battle. However, we can run and die as cowards, or we can stay and fight as heroes." A stunned silence had fallen over the crowd, and several in the third force shifted uncomfortably, caught in a conflict of internal emotions with his words. Those of Haibane beamed at their leader, proud to be a part of his clan. Ryonai swallowed hard, suddenly nervous as he realized everyone's attention was on him, and they were drinking up his every word. "I know I'm staying to fight…and I know that I may die today. But I'll be dying because I'm fighting for what I believe in, not because someone told me to. So if you want to run, if that will make you feel the proudest of yourself, then please, run. Survive if you can, no matter what it is that you must do to do it." Several people broke away with his words and dashed back in the direction of the Devastated Castle. The Lord of Dion made a noise of anger and lifted a hand to command his forces archers to shoot them, but Ryonai put a hand out to stop him. "Anyone else?" Ryonai asked seriously, glancing around the crowd. A few more shifted uncomfortably before dashing away as well, but the rest stared at Ryonai patiently. Again, Ryonai was impressed by the faith of those he was in command of. No one in his force budged from where they stood. The greatest dent had come to the second force, the Lord of Dion's army.

"Are we sticking to the original plan?" Vlad's voice was heard in the short silence that followed the departure of people. Smiling lightly, Ryonai nodded once. "Then why are we still standing here? Let's go shed the blood of the idiots and paint the ground a pretty color!" Vlad shouted. He was responded to with a chorus of approving shouts, a chorus that grew as the rest of the force began to feel the anticipation of battle. Ryonai looked triumphantly at the Lord of Dion, who scowled at him. No speech that man would've ever given would have gained such enthusiasm as Ryonai's did. He had given them a choice, made them feel like fighting for their country instead of forcing them to, and he knew that feeling might be all that was needed to win the war.

Aden's force arrived at the Eastern Border Gates to find them silent as death and untouched. Armor clinked as the fighters shifted in anticipation. Ryonai stood at the head of the army with the Lord of Dion, and glanced around the quiet landscape cautiously. It was too quiet, too deceiving, not even the wind blew.

"Where is this gigantic army we were so afraid of?" the Lord of Dion asked loudly. Ryonai hissed lightly at him to be quiet.

Watching in secrecy from a rocky ledge, Anasala gazed over Aden's army with eyes wizened from years of battle. She almost felt pity for the army gathered beyond the gate, for they had no idea what waited just scant feet on the other side. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she caught sight of her youngest son standing amongst the army, scowling as if he hated the world. Her hands ached in anticipation of battle, as she had never been able to cross blades with her son before, and she was eager to see his skill. The first two forces were set up according to Vlad's design, this much she could tell. If they all followed some sort of order from him, they might have a chance of winning this fight, even with the numbers on Elmore's side.

She blinked several times and shifted her gaze as movement from above caught her eye. Unnoticed by everyone gathered below, a large red dragon that she could only assume was one of Shilen's incest-borne children landed on a mountain ledge above her. From the dragon's neck, two specks dropped off onto the rocky ledge, and surveyed the army just as she was. Anasala tilted her head slightly as the color of red hair and gray skin were visible to her from where she stood. Frowning, as this newcomer not only resembled Amari from where she stood but could pose a problem for both sides with a dragon on their side, Anasala began to climb from her rocky perch to get closer to them.

Shizuka reached up to stroke Valakas' nose once and murmur to him before sending him on his way. For some reason he had refused to take them in his human disguise, and she did not want to risk them being spotted. Valakas narrowed his eyes at Amari's back before beating his massive wings twice and rising into the air. As he departed, Shizuka approached Amari and pressed against his side in a flirtatious manner.

Like Anasala, Amari surveyed the Aden army with eyes devoid of thought or emotion. He'd grown so accustomed to the raw power within him that he no longer felt it there; it was now as naturally a part of him as his own soul. With Shizuka's influence he was a whole, powerful force to be reckoned with.

"Oh look, the toys have gathered on their own to play with us." Shizuka giggled, rubbing her cheek against Amari's shoulder. A dark smile touched one side of Amari's mouth, and he slowly raised a hand. An orb of dark energy swirled in front of his palm, a whispering voice chanting a spell never before used by any magician in the mortal world. He spread his fingers as his eyes widened in a snapping motion, and the ball of black energy flew from him. Like a cannonball, it hit the Border Gates, which exploded upon impact, showering the ground with bits of wood and metal.

The Aden force stared in awe as the Elmore force was revealed through the damaged gate. Some of Elmore's forces had been hurt in the explosion; most were still poised in the act of flinching as the dust cleared. Halfway up the mountain Amari and Shizuka stood upon; Anasala paused to stare at the broken gate in horror. She glanced up the side of the mountain with eyes large.

"Amari." She breathed, recognizing the feel of her son's strange power. The war forgotten, Anasala continued to climb, determination set into her features.

Down in the field, Ryonai swallowed hard as he got his first glimpse of what they were up against. Not letting a prime chance to catch the Elmorean force by surprise, he unsheathed his sword and held it forward with a shout. The Dion lord looked up from the wince he'd crouched into as the army moved around him, echoing Ryonai's shout. Trying to regain their composure, the Elmore captain shouted the order to advance, and his forces poured through the damaged gate to meet Aden. Some of his shield forces whom had been injured in the explosion were trampled, no one taking time to help their fallen comrades up.

The two sides met in a clash of metal, sparks flying and blood staining the ground once more. The air was filled with the sounds of shouts of pain, roars of anger from the Orcs, and the clanging of metal. Standing safely behind the army, the mages on the Aden side began casting magic, trying to dent the Elmorean forces. Evzen winced as a Summoner next to him was taken out by a fiery arrow, but tried to keep his composure and keep those he was assigned to, healed. Mune was lost in the clashing weapons, and he tried desperately to find her and make sure she stayed safe.

Up in the frigid north, all was quiet and peaceful within the Dwarven Village. A few dwarves crowded around the crystal spinning near the Blacksmith's, watching the war magically through it. Most went about their daily duties as always; one could never tell by looking at them that they were concerned with war.

Koyori stood outside of the Pixie household with a heavy coat wrapped around her shoulders. Her breath came out in a cloud and she looked to the sky with her brow knitting in worry. The air was clear and crisp, and the day had been cheerful, but she knew that the evening was not so pleasant for her friends back in Aden.

"Wishing you were down there?" Mama Pixie asked as she waddled out of the house. Koyori looked down at her with her mouth pressed into a thin line and then returned her gaze to the sky.

"No, but I can't help but worry about them." She said, hugging herself to prevent her internal shiver from surfacing. Mama Pixie sighed and patted Koyori's arm in a comforting manner.

"Well, no use standing out here in the cold, you can worry just fine inside where it's warm as well. Come on." She said, leading the taller girl in gently. Koyori looked over her shoulder as she was led inside the house, and whispered a prayer to any deity that would hear it; _Please keep them safe…they are my family._

Ryonai grunted as he blocked the blow from the large blue axe the Elmorean Paladin swung at him. The Paladin was older than him, and seemed desperate to live with how he continuously pounded Ryonai's shield with his axe. He let out wild noises of desperation, and Ryonai couldn't find an opening long enough to wound the man and get him off of him. Letting out a noise of rage, Ryonai swung his shield as the Paladin raised his axe again, and slammed it into the man's face. Bits of teeth flew from his mouth as his head snapped to the side with the impact.

"I'm sorry." Ryonai murmured, thrusting his sword forward and stabbing the man upward, through the tiny gap of plates covering his chest. The Paladin's eyes widened at the shock of Ryonai's sword, and he collapsed upon it. Ryonai withdrew his sword and helped the man gently fall onto his back. The man gasped and swallowed, staring at Ryonai with eyes that life was quickly fleeing. Perhaps it was because they shared the same class, or perhaps it was the desperate struggle to live that the man had shown in their short fight, but Ryonai found he couldn't just let the man lay on the grass and die like a dog like the rest were. Watching the other Paladin with a gentle face, he took the man's hand and held it, giving him some sort of comfort in his last moments. The man gripped Ryonai's hand with surprising strength as the light faded from his eyes, and then his body relaxed immediately. Ryonai sighed heavily and bowed his head, saying a prayer for the soul of the Paladin.

His head rose quickly as he sensed another presence behind him, and he jumped up just as the blade of a two-handed axe slammed into the ground behind him, cleaving the leg of the dead Paladin off.

"Tch, I missed." Ryann spat, dropping the axe and pulling a lightweight mage sword from where it was sheathed at her hip. She was upon Ryonai in an instant, slashing at his chest with a dark laugh. Ryonai parried her sword, caught off guard with her sudden attack. He knew he'd seen this woman before, but his mind couldn't recall when or where.

"Stop this, aren't you from Aden?" he asked, parrying her blade. She growled menacingly and jumped back as he tried to return blows with her, and quickly chanted a flame spell. He raised his shield to block it, wincing as the tips of his hair singed as the fireball dispersed. She was upon him again as he lowered his shield, and he jumped back quickly, his feet sliding in the pebble-ridden dirt as he tried to keep his balance. He waved his hand quickly, and the ground beneath her feet rose up to surround her ankles and keep her locked in place. She laughed darkly and glanced at her feet, pulling free of his spell with surprising ease. Ryonai drew back his sword as she flew at him and swung it, the edge aimed for her neck. Just as it cut into her throat, the tip of her blade found the weakest spot in Ryonai's defense-the hole Narlafayn had made with her hand at the center of his chest, and pierced him. As Ryann fell, wounded, she cast one powerful wind spell with the last of her strength, the blast hitting the hilt of her sword and impaling it in his body. Ryonai let out a choked noise and fell backwards as she hit the ground, blood spreading around her as the cut to her jugular emptied.

"RYONAI!" Sharmin screamed, having watched Ryann's sword lance through him in horror. She raced to him, pushing past the fighting bodies around her with effort. She fell to her knees next to him and held him up as Ryann chuckled darkly.

"Now Innadril belongs to no one." She said, a content smile gracing her lips as she died.

"You…" Ryonai breathed with large eyes, finally recognizing the face of the woman whom he'd stolen Innadril from. He groaned in pain and arched his back as Sharmin attempted to pull the sword from his body. "Don't!" he rasped, grabbing her wrist roughly. "If you pull it out, I'll just die faster." He winced, relaxing his grip on her as she released the hilt.

"I can't leave it in there…where's the healers?" Sharmin said desperately, looking around for Komugi and Vuylay. All that met her vision was the bodies of those still locked in battle, and the corpses of the dead scattered around them. Ryonai tried to take a breath, but then grunted in pain. The bitch had lanced him right through the sternum, piercing the tube that supplied his lungs with oxygen. Blood was spilling around the blade from the tiny bit Sharmin had moved it, and Ryonai was quickly finding it difficult to breathe.

"I didn't think I'd end like this…but at least I have good company." Ryonai said with a pained smile. Sharmin searched his face desperately, her mouth trembling as she tried to hold back her tears.

"Don't say that…we'll get you a healer…you'll be ok!" Sharmin said, squeezing his shoulder slightly. His breath rattling as fluid filled his lungs; Ryonai lifted a hand to caress her cheek.

"You know…I've always loved you…Fish Face…" he said weakly with a smile. Sharmin's eyes widened and tears finally spilled out onto her cheeks. "I just…screwed it up… If I had been brave like Gatz…would you have chosen me?" Pressing his hand into her cheek, Sharmin sobbed openly and nodded slightly. Ryonai relaxed, and let his eyelids drift shut. "Liar." He whispered, his arm going limp.

"No…" Sharmin sobbed as his hand dropped to the ground. "Ryonai…RYONAI!" she shouted into his face, shaking him slightly. "No…no…no no no no…" she repeated hysterically, shaking her head like a mad woman. "NO!" she screamed, arching her spine and throwing her head back to look to the sky. The bloody moon had risen early in the evening sky, and stared down at her as her eyes widened. Power coursed through her, and for one fleeting moment, the moon was in front of her, and she could touch it if she so wished. The world faded from around her as she reached for it, and she was brought to the familiar darkness precluding her travel back in time.

"No."

Sharmin jumped and spun around. She glanced around herself in confusion, she wasn't where she wanted to be, just moments before Ryann's sword stabbed Ryonai…she was in a void of white. The voice that had spoken was deep, yet feminine. It had no gender, yet was both genders at once. It was the same voice she'd heard before Altana had allowed her to return to her world. Ignoring it, she re-focused on returning to her destination, when the voice said again, firmly, "No."

"Who are you?" she shouted in frustration, knowing instinctively that lingering too long in this space beyond time would drain her strength and she would return without having changed anything.

"I am the spirit beyond spirits, I am the one that created the orb from which your gods, your world emerged." The voice said in a voice both calm and comforting. Sharmin resisted the urge to cry at this voice, to find the owner and curl up on their lap as she had done once to her father as a little girl. It was the voice of a parent, the kind of comforting voice that if it would tell her all would be well; she knew it would be true.

"You must not complete what you aim to do, child. You cannot disrupt the balance of life this time, it will change too much." The voice continued gently. "Your world would be thrown into chaos if no lives end at the moment you wish to disrupt." Sharmin sobbed loudly and covered her face, shaking her head as she tried to ignore the voice's words. The moment the voice uttered them, she knew it was true, even though she didn't want it to be.

"Then take my life instead! Don't let him die!" She finally shouted angrily to the void. "He cannot die now…he has so much left to do…he's only begun to live!"

"Then what of you, child? You would snuff out your life which also has only just begun for the life of your loved one?" the voice asked gently. Sharmin trembled in fear, knowing that this decision was not one to make so hastily. Clenching her jaw she raised her head to face the unknown bravely, knowing that this decision was the right one.

"No, she will not." A new voice came, interrupting Sharmin's final answer. Sharmin turned quickly in surprise to find Emixia walking towards her slowly. Sharmin blinked at her, unsure if this were the true Emixia or just a phantom created by her mind. The woman looked weary, still speckled with the blood of those she'd been fighting. Her hair, once short and cropped close to her head was now long, and slicked away from her face in a feminine style of Vlad's hairstyle. Her cheekbones were high and her face slightly squared, giving away her Orcish heritage…yes this was Emixia. Sharmin's lips parted slightly as she looked to Emixia in confusion, and the woman smiled.

"There are many secrets about me which I did not reveal to anyone." She said, shutting her eyes with the smile. She opened them again and looked to the voice sadly. "My life will be taken in exchange for Ryonai's. I've lived long enough."

"If this is what you wish." The voice responded knowingly.

"No! Emixia, you can't! What about Vlad? What about your family?" Sharmin protested, feeling the tug of power pulling her back to herself. Emixia turned her sad smile upon her and placed a hand upon her head in a sisterly fashion.

"And what about you? What of Gatz? What of your sister?" she asked seriously, stroking Sharmin's hair in a similar manner to how Vlad used to pet her own. "There are far fewer people who will miss me than there would be for you. I could not stand to see that many grieve. I am tired with life…I've experienced enough of it." Emixia said. Sharmin struggled against the invisible hands that began pulling her back to reality, grasping for Emixia as she went. "This is the right choice, Sharmin. Tell everyone thank you for me…and tell Vlad that I…"

Sharmin returned to her body with a jolt, stumbling on her feet as she tried to regain her composure. She shouted in frustration and stabbed the Light Elf she'd been fighting through his side as she realized she'd been pulled away before hearing Emixia's request. She turned just as Ryann ran past her with the axe, trying to cleave Ryonai as he knelt beside the dead Paladin. Her heart leapt into her throat, she'd made it back to the time she wanted! She could still save Ryonai!

The Light Elf she'd been fighting jumped in front of her, still retaining enough energy despite the wound she'd made. Over his shoulder she watched as Ryonai and Ryann began fighting, and she bared her teeth in a feral manner. Parrying the Elves' dagger blows, she whipped out her shield and smacked him with it, stunning him, and then hit him again to send him flying to the ground.

As she ran towards Ryonai desperately, Ryann broke free of Ryonai's spell and launched herself at him, sword first. Sharmin let out a desperate noise; she wasn't going to make it there in time! Did her power fail her? Did she have to witness his death a second time?

A hand pushed Ryonai roughly on his chest and he fell backwards with look of shock, his blade finding the bare skin of the arm of the pusher and slicing it open deeply. Sharmin gasped in shock as Ryann's sword lanced through the side of Emixia's armor, where the breastplate fastened together, burying itself to the hilt immediately. Ryann took a few steps back in shock as Emixia fell, leaving herself open. Lost in bloodlust, Vlad took this time to notice the enemy not guarding herself, and flew at her, cleaving her at the small of her back and separating her spine. With a wild smile he stabbed downwards as Ryann fell, killing her. He stood, grinning in satisfaction.

"Vl…d…" Emixia choked. Vlad looked up, realizing that his allies were there for the first time. Emixia was on her stomach, holding the wound with one hand and reaching for him with the other. Vlad stared at her, his eyes large with shock as he instinctively reached a hand towards her slightly. A tiny smile graced her lips, blood pouring out of her mouth and dripping to the ground with the movement. Just as their fingers were going to touch she faltered, and slowly fell limp to the ground. His eyes still large, Vlad fell to his knees, staring at her unmoving body. His swords fell from limp fingers, the urge to fight fleeing him in that one instant. Ryonai looked to Sharmin in shock, who had tears running down her face. He didn't know what had just happened, but he felt that he would've surely been dead if Emixia hadn't stepped in.

"Ryonai, you need to call a retreat, we're being slaughtered out here!" Leon yelled as he ran towards them. He was injured, blood from a wound on his head running into his eye and forcing it shut. Still shocked at the sudden death of one of his clansmen, Ryonai looked at his former classmate blankly.

"Tell the Lord of Dion…he's in charge…" Ryonai said, his voice wooden. He felt strangely numb with grief, and couldn't grasp his thoughts.

"Which piece of him do you want me to ask; he's a little spread out right now." Leon responded grimly, glancing over his shoulder. Leon's words sinking in for the first time, Ryonai turned to face the battle fully, his eyes large. Most of the dead littering the ground wore the colors of Aden, and those that were still alive were very much struggling to stay that way. For the first time in a time of battle, Ryonai felt helpless. Dragging his feet towards the fray, he let his sword drop to the bloodied dirt. Alucard and Valimos lay amongst the dead, and Ryonai bit back the look of grief that threatened to show on his face. His body strangely devoid of energy, Ryonai leaned down to grab the toppled Aden flag that lay tattered on the ground and stood it upright. Shutting his eyes for a moment of composure, he opened them again and took a breath.

"RE…" he began to shout. The sound of a conch shell horn drowned out the rest of his command, blaring loudly over the battlefield and drawing everyone's attention. Some took the advantage to kill their opponent while distracted, while others shared confusion as they looked for the source of the sound.

Upon the ledge where they watched the war, Shizuka stepped around Amari with her eyes narrowed. "What is that?" she hissed as a tall figure stood upon the peak of the foothill siding hers. The person raised the conch shell to their lips again and blew once more, and a line of figures joined the first upon the foothills. Shizuka stumbled backwards as a taller figure with snow-white wings upon his back joined the line, a grey-skinned woman at his side. Fear filled her eyes and she clung to Amari, making whimpering noises.

"What is it?" he asked, glancing down at her in confusion.

"Mother…and my bastard of a father…" she sniffled, hiding her face against his arm. Amari frowned at her, never before seeing this emotion displayed from her. Shilen was over there? But why?

A silence had fallen over the battlefield as everyone looked at these newcomers in fear, not knowing what to expect. Who were they? Were they friend or foe? Would they assist one side or destroy both?

"Destroy Elmore." Synshlee murmured to Sayha, her eyes finding someone on the battlefield and focusing on them. Sayha let out a shout and pointed his spear to the air. Those lined up around him echoed the shout and dashed down the side of the foothill. Those below them choked in awe as they realized the newcomers had a single wing coming from their backs. The wounded from Aden found themselves carried away from the fray by these elegant beings and replaced by those fresh for battle. Ryonai watched with large eyes as the one-winged beings fought with more prowess and power than he could ever wish to have. Some took the souls from the nearly dead and used them to empower themselves. They fought with crossbows and large two-handed swords, wielding both as if they were extensions of themselves.

"If you wish to save the ones who are lost, take your forces to Elmore, NOW." Synshlee said, appearing behind Ryonai. He looked at her with large eyes, shocked by her sudden appearance. "Now!" she urged, pushing on him before disappearing into the spirit lights and re-appearing several feet in front of him. "To the place where the Giant of 1000 eyes is imprisoned to this day! Hurry!" she said, pointing towards the broken gates. She disappeared again and flew towards the gate and beyond it, leading them to where they needed to go.

"Into Elmore!" Ryonai found himself shouting after he retrieved his sword from the ground. Those within earshot looked at him in confusion, but picked up what they could of the wounded and hurried as fast as they could towards the border gates.

"Vlad…" Maeve murmured, kneeling beside the shocked Gladiator. She touched his shoulder lightly, and he slowly turned his head to look at her. "We have to move; we'll come back and give her a proper funeral later." She said gently, helping him stand. Vlad went willingly, too numb in his own mind to think for himself.

As Maeve led him away from the battlefield, Vlad turned to glance over his shoulder once last time. Such a sad sight lay behind him; the body of the one woman who ever sought his affection, crumpled in a pile of flesh on the ground. She would never know what truly lay in his heart, and now it was too late to regret.

Upon the ledge, Shizuka's eyes widened as she realized Ryonai was leading a small portion of Aden's forces through Elmore's gates. Rage flowed through her like deadly poison, and she gripped Amari's arm until her nails bit into his skin. "No, they mustn't escape! Mother said to keep them separated from Frintezza's toys at all costs!" she growled. Fear over seeing Synshlee and Sayha forgotten, she stood up straight and pointed at the group. "Amari, kill them! Hurry or they'll ruin everything!" she said in a childish voice. The darkness within him eager to use his magic again, Amari held a hand out and let another orb of dark energy swirl at his palm.

"That's quite enough of that." Anasala said firmly. One of her swords lanced him harmlessly through his shoulder, startling him out of his dark stupor and making Shizuka gasp as a little blood spattered her face as the sword was withdrawn. With a groan Amari fell to his knees, grasping his shoulder with one hand.

"How dare you!" Shizuka screeched, holding her arms in a triangle shape in front of her and calling forth the dark energy that killed Ballard.

"So you're the one making my little boy act strange. I don't approve of you, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to never speak to him again." Anasala said without emotion, dropping into a battle stance. A ghost-like image of Shilen appeared over Anasala like an aura, and Shizuka dropped the energy before it had fully formed, her eyes large with shock.

"Why would mother protect someone like you? Why?" she cried mournfully. Anasala tilted her head slightly with Shizuka's words, her eyes narrowing. "You ugly cow! You've ruined everything!" she sobbed, balling her fists at her sides angrily. Shizuka's face softened in the next moment, and her lips parted slightly. "Of course…there's still the other!" she said in a whispery voice. She giggled to herself and raised her hands to her lips happily. Confused, Anasala stood straight, silently questioning the sanity of the girl in front of her. "I'll just go find him now, so you can have this skinny old man. He's not that great in bed anyway." Anasala's mouth dropped open with this, and she glanced between Shizuka and Amari in disbelief. Shizuka continued to giggle and disappeared in a waft of red smoke, which blew away in the slight breeze that had begun to blow. Feeling the danger had passed; Anasala sheathed her swords and approached her son.

"Mother?" Amari grimaced, glancing up as his mother knelt beside him. Her white hair fell over her shoulders as she lifted him by his uninjured arm.

"You mind explaining to me what in the world you get yourself into when I'm not around to baby-sit you?" Anasala questioned bitterly as she began to lead him slowly in the direction of his clan.

Terebel sat wedged between crumbled mortar and a broken rock wall with his head buried in his arms, which were folded on top of his knees. He had come back to the world he knew somewhere in the foothills of the mountains around the Ketra Orc Outpost, and had wandered for hours until he came to a tiny temple hidden in the side of the mountain. A crumbling rock wall hid the temple's mouth from view; the entrance was lined with torches that lit magically as night fell. There were statues of serene-faced men, holding the torches to light the way for patrons who would never visit the Temple.

The dark voice was still whispering to him inside of his mind, giving him images of torturous things for him to do to every person that crossed his mind in concerned thought. He had plastered himself against the wall in a childish attempt to hide from it, even though it came from within.

_"….get under her clothes…her skin…"_ the voice said within Terebel's mind, laughing darkly as a fleeting thought of Narlafayn crossed it.

"No…" Terebel whimpered, curling into himself as he tried to block it, and the desire that it awoke, out.

_"…pry open her thighs…reach in past her womb…rip her up until there is nothing left…"_ it continued. Terebel began to pant in horror as it continued, the images of what it tempted flaring through his brain. He cried out as his heart hurt, finding himself inside of his mind with Narlafayn dead below him, and her blood tasting horrifically sweet upon his lips.

At that horribly fateful moment, Narlafayn wearily trudged out of a long dark passageway to find herself within the temple's interior. It still retained signs of the battle that the demon Kurikups had waged against one of the Shadows of Halisha a year prior, although Narlafayn was ignorant to that fight. She looked around the dimly lit stone interior with a tired expression, relief at being free of Frintezza flooding her and sapping her strength.

A strange jolt flew through her as she heard someone whimper somewhere in the distance, their voice faint and echoing by the time it reached her ears. Her heart began to pound at the familiarity of the sensation, and she found it difficult to breathe. Her heart surging her legs into action, she lifted her skirts and dashed across the temple interior swiftly. She grunted as she pushed herself over toppled pillars at the doorway of the corridor, and rushed onward. Her heart thudded loudly in her ears as she came to the doorway of the temple, and the first gush of fresh air hit her lungs. There, against the wall hiding the temple from view, was the one person she wanted to see the most, yet wanted to be the farthest from at the same time.

"Terebel…" her voice came, slightly breathless. Terebel lifted his head swiftly to find her standing at the temple's entrance, her cheeks rosy and breath short. Her breasts caved slightly within her bodice as she tried to catch her breath despite the tight lacing of the corset attempting to prevent as such. He shot to his feet immediately and plastered his body against the crumbled wall. A look of tearful joy crossed her face and she gathered up her skirt again as she covered the distance between them

"No….NO!" he cried, frightened that the darkness within him would return. He feared that if it came back, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from giving in to the dark desires the voice had just tempted him with. He turned away from her as she approached, covering his head with one arm and throwing up the other to halt her. He slid to a crouch to hide better, still shielding his face from her. How was she there? Why was she there? Why now of all times?

She reached out to him hesitantly as he whimpered in fear of her, not understanding the reason. Her heart hurt to see him like that, and a voice within her warned her to stay away. Ignoring it, she slowly pressed in closer, her fingertips finding wisps of his hair and smoothing them. He slowly lowered his arms enough to glance at her, finding her crouched next to him, smoothing his hair away with a look of tenderness. His heart still pounding in his throat from anxiety, he lowered his arms a little more, finding that he was entranced by the sight of her again despite his fear. She was angelic in the moonlight, glowing white despite the red hue of the moon and her crimson dress. His breath became short again, this time for a different reason as he turned to look at her fully.

"I love you." She said, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Not because of this destiny that we can't control…but I truly love you." His eyes widened slightly at her words, and at the way her hand trembled against his hair. Before he could say anything she fell forward onto him, pressing her mouth to his in a desperate kiss. She was afraid he would reject her, because after all, Dark Elves did not love. She had to let him know the intensity of her feelings despite this one dreadful bit of knowledge, and despite the future that surely laid ahead for them.

He responded to her kiss immediately, grabbing her shoulders almost painfully and adding his own pressure to their mouths. The kiss went from desperate to hungry, and Narlafayn barely had time to breathe. She clung to him as he raised them up to stand once more. Fear had fled from his body at the touch of her lips, and instead all that was left in its wake was an insistent, desperate need that could no longer be ignored.

Her hands slid from his shoulders to his hair, where she slid her fingers through his indigo locks. They each sighed into the hungered kiss as he roughly pushed her against the wall and tried his best to unlace the corset of her dress. He grunted in pained frustration, his desire for her rising to a painful degree as he realized her dress was not going to cooperate.

Her fingers found the hooks and buckles of his armor quicker than he had expected, and the metal from his chest, arms and hips clattered to the ground noisily. He stepped out of it and grabbed her roughly again, breaking the kiss momentarily as he pushed her to the softer grass away from the wall. He covered her as she quickly situated herself, and pushed her large skirt up high enough to be out of the way. He growled low in his throat and kissed away from her mouth to bite her neck, wishing he had the patience to rip the annoying layers off of her body. She arched her back and moaned as he bit down, not hard enough to break the skin, as it sent shocks of pleasured electricity through her body.

He returned to kissing her possessively and reached underneath the skirt. Without hesitating he tore her underpants from her body with a soft rip of fabric, pushed down his trousers, and connected with her.

Narlafayn cried out loudly in pain and pleasure, her body not accustomed to accommodating a man after so long, but reveling in the feel that she and Terebel were connected, at last. She arched against him, sweat glistening across her forehead and between her breasts as her entire body writhed. Terebel ducked his head down to lick her chest, savoring the salty taste of her after desiring it so long.

They cried out together as heat and pain collided within them, reaching climax. Frustration filled Narlafayn as Terebel collapsed upon her, trying to catch his breath. She wanted more…she wasn't nearly satisfied enough. It was too quick, too primal; she needed more of him…more!

"Drain me until there is nothing left…until I am dry…" Terebel whispered huskily, sharing her desire for more. He kissed her passionately, and Narlafayn sighed.

Breaking the kiss reluctantly, she rose to her knees and began to struggle with the dress. She wanted to feel him, all of his warmth. Terebel blinked at her, the surprise at suddenly no longer being joined with her shocking him momentarily. As it dawned on him that she was stripping, he began to strip out of his chain mail and tunic as well, eager to join her.

They lay together again after that, this time gentler, slower. It occurred to Terebel that this moment was quite possibly the best one he'd ever had with a lover, with how it felt. He questioned if that was simply because they'd waited three years for one another, or was it something else? Something that he'd been denying himself about her all along? Narlafayn let out a sob of grief as she sat on his lap intimately, and clung to his shoulders as if he would disappear, bringing him out of his thoughts and back to her.

"Am I hurting you?" he asked, worry lacing his husky voice. Narlafayn shook her head and clung to him harder.

"Why can't I have your babies? WHY?" she wept, pulling away to stare at him in the eyes. Terebel searched her face as she searched his, and lifted a hand to caress her cheek. It was the price of their destiny, even if they could have this moment together now; they would never be able to truthfully be connected. The thought of having children was something that would normally ruin the mood for him, but he found that his throat seized up with her words. He wanted to see her heavy with his child…to know it was theirs, but why was this desire hitting him now, of all times?

"We'll find a way." He promised, pressing their foreheads together, his voice thick. Narlafayn nodded and sniffled, lowering her eyelids as tears escaped.

They cuddled with one another after their bodies were finally satisfied, using the massive skirt of her shed dress as a blanket. Terebel felt a peace and relaxation that he hadn't felt in years wash over his body as he laid on his back with her curled against him, and lightly trailed his fingers over her bicep. Narlafayn chuckled softly in the silence that had descended over them, drawing his attention from the blessed nothingness that had overcome his mind.

"What?" he asked, raising his head enough to glance at the top of her head where it was cradled in the soft place beneath his collar bone. Her fingers danced over the thin, nearly invisible hair at the center of his chest, sending a wave of goosebumps over his skin with the movement.

"I was just remembering this book I read…back in my old world…" she said with a sigh, letting her hand rest heavily on him. She shut her eyes as she felt his heart beating evenly beneath the skin, and smiled at it. Sensing that he was waiting for her to continue, she took a breath. "It was a horribly smutty book that my mother tried to keep hidden from me…but the age I read it at, the only parts I understood was the main characters love for one another. I always thought how grand it would be if I were the main girl, and could have a man love me as much as the guy in the book did." She blinked in mild surprise as Terebel's heart began to thud underneath her hand, and she glanced at his chest in puzzlement. "I was so naïve though…stories like that don't happen in real life. I had my heart set on marrying this guy I think I imagined around that time, which would explain why I'd forgotten the book until now…I think it was called 'The Crusader and…"

"…the Alchemist." Terebel finished with her. Narlafayn's eyes widened as his hand covered hers on his chest and she rose up to look at him.

"How…did you know that?" she asked in a hushed voice, her eyes large. A look that was desperate and sad, yet gentle and loving met her gaze as she looked at him, and the hand that he'd covered hers with rose to cup her cheek gently.

"You were real all along…it wasn't just a dream…" Terebel whispered, tears welling in his eyes. The memory of the strange boy that she'd found injured outside of the Zehrun mines resurfaced in Narlafayn's mind in an instant, along with his name that she'd sworn she'd forgotten.

"Terebel…" she breathed, as if saying it for the first time. He drew her forward to kiss her, happiness and a warm, unfamiliar feeling welling to the point of bursting in his chest. The ground around them suddenly began to rumble, and the pair scrambled towards the wall as grass and bits of earth exploded, showering down around them as Terebel covered Narlafayn protectively.

"Tsk…putrid worms. You smack his hospitality away to copulate above his sacred chambers. Disgusting, I'd kill you if I weren't ordered to retrieve you." The voice of Scarlet came through the dust cloud that lingered after the explosion. Narlafayn glanced up as the dust settled, and gasped as Scarlet stood on the edge of a great hole that she'd burst forth from. The tiny demon girl was not as Narlafayn had last seen her, however. She spoke from within the chest cavity of a large, muscular demon body that resembled a male version of the Shadow that had retrieved her in the first place. Her arms disappeared into flesh on either side of her, and her waist was hidden below the cavity. The demon body she rode within had large horns curving around its head like a bulls, its sharpened teeth visible as it lacked lips to cover them with. Large red bat like wings sat on its back, and within one hand it held a great red blade.

"He is without them, mistress." The giant demon growled, shocking Narlafayn further. It was sentient? How was that possible? Scarlet smirked darkly as her eyes landed on Terebel, and Narlafayn's heart leapt into her throat.

"Kill him." She said in satisfaction.

"No!" Narlafayn shouted, trying to jump in front of Terebel. With a swipe from the mighty demon's hand, Terebel went flying through the air, and landed hard against the uneven top of the wall. "Leave him alone, it's me you want!" Narlafayn shouted, retrieving her dress to cover herself with it. Scarlet ignored her, and reached for Terebel again. Terebel coughed as he was lifted from the wall by one arm, wincing as his ribs crackled with the movement. Scarlet's demon laughed darkly and grabbed his other arm.

"Split him like a party popper." She commanded, her arms flexing as she lent the demon strength to use his arms. Terebel's head snapped up as the monster began to pull slowly on his arms. He gasped as the shoulders dislocated, and stared at the demon in shock as he felt the skin of his arms splitting.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Narlafayn screamed with all of her might. A burst of the hammer's energy flared forth and slammed into the demon, and it howled as its leg began to decay, its skin coming off in flakes and dropping to the ground like ash. Terebel was dropped immediately, and he fell to the ground like a rag doll. Scarlet looked down to her 'armor's leg in horrified rage, then back to Narlafayn.

"You bitch! How dare you wound me!" she snarled, directing the howling demon towards her. Narlafayn stepped backwards until her back hit the wall, and stared at Scarlet indignantly. Scarlet paused mid-step as her ears caught the sound of Terebel shifting in the grass, and turned back to look at him. He was trying to relocate his arms desperately despite the angle he'd dropped to the ground at.

"Mistress, the hammer?" the demon questioned, thinking she'd forgotten about Narlafayn. Scarlet glanced between the two, a dark smirk growing on her face. With a shout, she raised the demon's foot and brought it down right on top of Terebel. Narlafayn screamed in horror with the squelching noise that sounded underneath the demon's massive foot, and fell to her knees. Her screaming continued as Scarlet grabbed her and carried her down into the hole. As it had done for the Shadow, the earth repaired itself as soon as they disappeared beneath it, leaving everything as it had been prior to Scarlet's arrival.

"Why would you do that? How could you do that?" Narlafayn sobbed, trying to forget the noise of her boyfriend being crushed beneath the demon's Orc-sized foot.

"It makes me happy to see your despair, please give me more." Scarlet purred from the demon's chest cavity. "Sadly I can't kill you too…that pesky hammer would destroy me before I had the chance…pity it didn't feel the same way for your boyfriend that you did, I'm sure it would've saved him." She smirked as Narlafayn's sobbing quieted into shocked shivering, pleased with herself.

_Why didn't you help me save him?_ Narlafayn questioned the hammer in her mind. The hammer remained frustratingly silent for a long stretch of time, and it occurred to Narlafayn that it was confused.

_Did save him._ It responded finally. Narlafayn covered her face with her hands; of course the hammer would think that death was salvation. It was the tool of despair, after all. She succumbed to grief in the next moment, her sobs the only sound as Scarlet traveled soundlessly through the tunnel leading back to Frintezza's cathedral room.

Back out at the Pilgrim's Temple, the red mess that had become Terebel's fate suddenly began to twitch. The goo and mess that surrounded the crumpled skin re-formed and withdrew, returning to the places where it had come from. Bones crackled and popped as they knitted together at an intense speed, and the blood that had spilled was sucked up as if flowing in reverse. Within mere moments, Terebel was whole again, and he pushed himself to his feet with effort. He lifted his head slightly, his eyes narrowed. The green of his iris had extended to cover his entire eye; a simple black slit was all that was left of his pupil. He glared as they flared with otherworldly light, and as he stood, the two blood swords, the Akamanah, reappeared in his hands. He turned towards the Temple's entrance, the black armor that decorated the ground disappearing into a smoke and reforming on his body, fully assembled. Without a sound the shadows around him converged around his feet, and he sunk into them. A mortal had died mere moments before, and the Destroyer vowed to take revenge on his behalf.


	34. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

_The Reunion_

Nearly an hour after escaping the battlefield, what was left of Aden's unit finally came to rest at the rocky entrance into the Wall of Argos, the place where Argos, the Giant of 1000 Eyes was said to be imprisoned. This place was forbidden ground, and many claimed that angels sent from Einhasad herself patrolled the area to kill intruders.

The sky was overcast and the clouds a deep blood red, blocking out the glow from the moon. The Wall was a giant expanse of craggy canyons, sided by rocky mountains covered in snow. There was no life here, everything choked out when Einhasad fused Argos to the wall in punishment. Lightning flashed through the clouds like a blanket, lighting the way into the canyon eerily. The rocks were rough and jagged and colored a dusty sort of brown, the ground covered in a loose layer of gravel that made walking fast difficult. The walls were covered with strange rocky slits that looked eerily like shut eyes, and made Mune shiver as she gazed into the canyon.

"We're supposed to go in here?" Evzen asked, peering around her with a grimace. Mune followed one rock jutting into the sky like a limbless tree with her eyes warily, not answering. Lightning flashed again, striking the rock, and one of the strange slits suddenly snapped open. She yelped and fell backwards onto him as she realized in horror that the slit _was_ an eyelid, and the eye it covered was now rolling around crazily in its socket. Evzen clung to her arms as he too watched the eye, transfixed as blood poured out around it. With a sickening popping noise that reached their ears, the eyeball popped out of the rock socket in a gush of blood and fell to the canyon, where it disappeared from their view.

"What did we just see?" Mune asked woodenly, staring into the dark canyon with large eyes. His voice gone for the moment, Evzen could only shake his head and swallow, unsure of how to respond to her.

Amari stumbled as Ryonai's fist contacted with his jaw, and he struggled to keep his balance. Before he could react, Ryonai punched him again, this time in his stomach. Amari let out a hurling grunt and doubled over just as Ryonai's fist contacted with his chin and sent him flying a few feet. He landed on the ground hard, his spine bowing with the painful impact. He rolled to his side and coughed, trying to dispel the blood from his throat as Ryonai advanced upon him slowly.

Anasala had just caught up with the army outside the Wall of Argos, and Ryonai had pounced upon Amari the instant his eyes found him. She now stood with a small cluster of Ryonai's clan, watching without emotion as the human beat her son senseless. Amari had shown no resistance when Ryonai first pulled him from her, and she would not lift a finger to help him until he did, if he did.

Ryonai pulled Amari up roughly by the collar of his robes until he was almost level with him. Amari coughed once, a gout of blood spilling down his chin and soiling his shining deep green and white robes with it. Ryonai, nearly mad with rage, gave no twitch of pity or sign of remorse as he pulled back his fist.

"Stop!" Vuylay's voice finally came, grabbing Ryonai's bicep and holding it as hard as she could. Ryonai jerked, startled with her sudden interference, and glanced at her. "Stop it, you'll kill him!" she pleaded, her voice rich with unshed tears. Ryonai turned his rage-filled gaze upon her, and pulled her closer to his body by drawing in his arm.

"You would stop me? Do you want to deceive me too, with him? Just as Shizuka did?" he growled menacingly. Vuylay's eyes widened and her lip trembled as she tried to hold back the fear in her eyes. She'd faced his rage once before, but Zaren had been there to stop him. "Get away from me!" he snarled, throwing his arm out and tossing her from it as if she were a fly. Vuylay tripped over her feet as she stumbled backwards, and fell towards the gravel. A collection of fireflies suddenly swirled to life where she would land, and Vuylay landed against a cool, soft body instead of flesh-tearing rocks.

"Your man has quite a temper, daughter, I see our tastes in men echo one another." Synshlee said, kneeling as she kept Vuylay from falling. Vuylay's breath caught in her throat and her lips parted as her mother's expressionless face met her eyes as she glanced up.

"M…mother?" Vuylay whispered, her words choking her throat. Next to Lavinia, across from Vuylay, Oonugh's own expression matched that of the Shilen Elder's. Lavinia felt her blood run cold as she gazed upon the apparition that Oonugh was suddenly entranced with, and her throat tightened unexpectedly. Sprissa stood next to her father, and covered her mouth with her hands in shock, recognizing her mother instantly even though she had been merely a baby when she last saw her.

Synshlee's first show of emotion was to smirk at her daughter's disbelief, and glance up to Ryonai, who stared at her, still poised in the act of throwing Vuylay. Amari had managed to open one eye to look at Synshlee, but didn't seem to realize she was really there, and not just a near-death vision.

"Although normally I would allow you to beat that pigeon-brained simpleton until he was just an unrecognizable pulp, unfortunately we need him this time." She said haughtily, turning her satisfied smirk to Ryonai. She rose to her feet, helping Vuylay up and supporting her until she was sure she could stand on her own. "It would also do you well to not toss around women pregnant with your children. Being the Lord of Innadril, I'm sure you need an heir without brain damage, yes?" she said, stepping away from Vuylay.

The color drained from Vuylay, Ryonai and several others in the crowd's faces with her words. Amari was dropped as if he'd grown hot, and Ryonai stared at the Dark Elf spirit in disbelief. Synshlee paused by Amari as he knelt with one hand at his throat, trying to remember how to breathe despite the pain his body was in. His face darkened as he glanced up at her, their old feud not forgotten despite the years and her death.

"You are not the person I wish to be led to the abyss by." Amari said darkly, his voice raspy. Synshlee snorted through her nose in amusement and lifted her eyebrows.

"Why on earth would you want to return there after you've spent the past weeks in the upper level of it? You always were a strange one, but of course most idiots are." She said smugly as he began to glare.

"My son is not an idiot, and you would do well to remember that." Anasala said, approaching them with a threatening click of one of her swords in its sheath. Synshlee's expression returned to that of nothingness and she stared into Anasala's lilac-colored eyes. Anasala thrust out her chest in a challenging stance, a faint smirk touching her own face as Synshlee's eyes reflexively flickered down to her breasts and back up to her face.

"Mother, this is a cruel joke you play!" Vuylay finally said, her voice cracking. Synshlee glanced over her shoulder in surprise as Vuylay trembled, her fists balled up at her sides and her shoulders hunched. Surprisingly to Vuylay, Synshlee's expression softened to that of someone reminiscing fonder times, and she crossed the space she'd put between them to cup Vuylay's cheek.

"I would not hurt you like this, Vuylay of my flesh." Synshlee said gently, a tender smile replacing the cold smirk she'd shown Amari. "You carry within you new life, those of us in the Abyss rejoice with this…why would I lie to you?" Synshlee turned to smile at Ryonai as he stared at them in shock. "A man of few words in a time of realization, I see." She laughed, pulling Vuylay towards him and linking their hands together. She smiled in approval as Ryonai turned his stunned stare onto Vuylay. Several of the onlookers stepped forward bravely and began to congratulate Ryonai and pat him on the back for a job well done.

"Synshlee…?" Oonugh's voice came now, a barely audible whisper. Lavinia braced herself as she turned towards him next. The look of absolute and devoted love that flooded her expression the moment her eyes met his put a thorn in Lavinia's heart, and she looked away with her knuckles pressed against her mouth.

"Oonugh…" Synshlee breathed, crossing the space between them quickly. She pressed herself against his body and began to caress his face lovingly. Unsure if she were truly there, Oonugh cupped her cheeks in his hands, his eyes searching hers. Behind them, Lavinia bit back a sob as she felt her heart exploding into a broken mess inside of her chest. Broud reached for her as she turned away from the reunited star-crossed pair, and watched helplessly as she hurried to put space between them, and herself.

"Mother!" Sprissa exclaimed, approaching her with tears sparkling in her eyes. Synshlee's lips parted as she laid eyes upon her adult daughter for the first time. Sprissa hastily removed her veil, suddenly eager to show someone that she was of Dark Elf heritage.

"Our daughter…Oonugh, our daughter is so beautiful!" Synshlee said in awe. If she were alive, she was sure she would be crying then, but she had no body to produce tears for the feeling of overwhelming happiness surging through her soul then. She hugged them both; pressing them to the cool illusion of flesh Sayha's magic had produced for her.

Not far from the happy reunion of family and realization of family to be, Vlad sat with his legs drawn up to his chest, his arms folded upon them and his head resting upon those. He stared at nothing, his expression as blank as his eyes. Sitting with a group that had started a campfire sometime during Synshlee's reunion with her family, Maeve glanced up and noticed him by himself and unmoving. Worrying for her former ward's health, she pushed herself to her feet from where she sat on a more than uncomfortable rock, and approached him. She walked slowly, giving him a chance to compose himself if he would be showing any un-Vlad like emotions.

She was old, and, even though she would never admit it to anyone, her eyesight was failing her. She'd seen the spectacles that the humans had invented to correct poor vision before, and she refused to ridicule herself by wearing a pair. Time was passing as it should, she knew within a few years the glamour she used to hide her age would fade, and she'd take her place amongst the Hierarchs and Tetrarchs of the Village.

"Vlad…you should try to at least drink some water while we're camped." She began gently, kneeling in front of him. She placed a hand upon one of his arms, and gazed at him in worry. Vlad had moved one of his hands towards his mouth, and now chewed on his thumbnail. He still gazed at nothing, and sat as if he hadn't heard her or noticed her. "Vlad…" she tried again, rubbing her thumb on his arm. He jerked away from her without a word, and surged to his feet. Not even glancing at her, he walked away into the dark, leaving Maeve staring after him in worry. A flash of lightning illuminated him once as he disappeared into the canyon, and then he was lost to the darkness beyond.

"I know you're all wondering why I had your leader bring you here," Synshlee began some time later, after the initial excitement had died down. She stood next to Oonugh with her hand upon his shoulder, pressing her hips towards his arm as she gazed at the group gathered around the campfire. Oonugh, seated upon a rock, glanced around, trying to find Lavinia's face amongst the group. More than an hour had passed since she disappeared from his side, and he worried for her to be alone in this place.

"Sayha has told me that his siblings, the other lesser gods save Shilen, have contacted you and told you of the Hammer of Legend, and whom it resides within now. There is more to this, more to the tale that the other gods themselves are not aware of." Several looks of confusion met her pause, for there were many who had not been in the throne room when Paagrio, Eva and Maphr had told them of the legend surrounding Narlafayn and Terebel's fates. "Gran Kain specifically left the Hammer where it would be found by mortal hands because he knew that Shilen would use it for her own means, which she did. This game was returned to him in the form of his impregnating the Abyssal Celebrant with the twin girls that would birth the Destroyer, but that is not important at this time. Gran Kain knew that Shilen would place the Hammer within a mortal body, but he did not expect his wife to thrust those she placed the Hammer within, into another world. He sought the final piece of Hammer that Shilen had kept, thinking his plan failed, but she'd already given this piece to the Dwarven smith who then forged it into the God Slayer."

"The God Slayer is a sword not unlike the demonic sword of Bremmnon; one you call the Zariche, only the God Slayer's power is tenfold…no, more than that…of the Zariche. This sword was forged with all of the hatred the mortal world holds for the gods and their games, and with the final bit of destructive power of the Hammer of Despair. This piece of the Hammer became servant to the collection of negative emotions in the world, making this sword the only thing that could put an end to life as we know it. It is the only thing that can kill a god…I myself once held this sword in my hands due to a game Shilen played that cost me my life…and I nearly killed Sayha with it."

There were several gasps of shock and many looks of disbelief amongst her listeners, and Synshlee waited patiently until their murmuring had died down. Vuylay gripped Ryonai's hand in worry as she sat on the other side of her mother, her mind suddenly full of fearful thoughts for Narlafayn.

"When the Hammer returned to this world nestled away inside of the body of the Light Elf who became your friend and comrade, Gran Kain rejoiced. For you see, his original plan was to safely hide away that tool of destruction, to put it within something that Einhasad would never suspect, something she could not touch without repercussion. What better place to put it but within a woman's body? A woman, who would be susceptible to his dark charm, a woman whom was more likely to obey him, and thus gaining him control over the hammer. And perhaps, if the feeling moved him, create a new cluster of destructive gods with."

"This news reached the ears of those bonded to demons, primarily the son of the former Emperor of Elmoreden, Frintezza. We're unsure of what he plans to do, but Sayha is certain the God Slayer, and now the woman whom the Hammer resides within are in his hands at this very moment. The God Slayer has become sentient in it's years separated from the rest of the hammer, and it seeks to control someone just as the Zariche does…and the Hammer within the woman seeks a master to control it…it is a dangerous combination for them to be so close to each other. Should the woman loose control of herself…well…I'll just say the result will not be as cozy as the war you were just involved with."

"But what of the Destroyer? You kind of left us hanging with that bit." Gatz spoke up bravely. Sharmin was heavy against his shoulder, having fallen asleep long before Synshlee had begun to speak. She was exhausted after using her powers, and could not manage to stay awake once she sat down. Synshlee turned her cat-like eyes upon him for a moment, her expression cold and without emotion.

"Gran Kain sought to repair the damage that Shilen had done, but because the Destroyer is his kin, he cannot kill him, himself. He fooled her into using some of her power to create the dual swords you saw the Destroyer wield for no other reason than to distract the Destroyer. Once he had weapons of destruction within his hands, he would no longer seek the Hammer, and those swords would eventually kill him when they grew tired of being wielded by him." Synshlee said, her tone brisk. "It was quite clever; I will admit…the poor fool will never realize he's being thwarted from his true goal…"

"They still call for each other…the Hammer and the Destroyer…we watched them destroy half of our first unit a while back, just by kissing." Zaken said, staring at Synshlee with hardness in his jaw. Synshlee frowned and turned to look at him this time, stepping away from Oonugh slightly. Only paying half attention to Synshlee's speech, Oonugh took that moment to slip away from her and away from the ring of light the campfire threw out to search for Lavinia.

"That's impossible, once the Akamanah was drawn to him, it should've choked out any desire for the hammer with its own siren's song…he couldn't still want the Hammer…" she thought aloud, more to herself than anyone else. "Unless…" she tapped her chin and began to ponder what Zaken had told her, "…true love draws two people together…" She raised her head quickly, her eyes searching around the group wildly. "Oonugh? Where's Oonugh?" she asked, her voice shrill and nearly hysterical. Her face transforming into that of a desperately frightened child, Synshlee whimpered a few times as she turned around, trying to find Oonugh. She exploded into the firefly lights her spirit became, and flew into the darkness, looking for him.

"Well…I guess…get some rest until she tells us what the hell we're supposed to do out here?" Ryonai's voice came uneasily in the silence that followed her departure. It took a few moments before the stunned group responded to his words and began moving about to either feed themselves or shift into a more comfortable position for a quick nap.

"Lavinia?"

Lavinia turned quickly at the sound of Oonugh's voice, startled from her thoughts. She'd been walking along the outer canyon wall shutting the Wall of Argos away from the rest of the world, lost in thought. The land was dreary outside of the wall even, only sparse patches of hard, spiky grass grew and the few trees that dotted the landscape that she could see in flashes of lightning were dead. She yearned to return to the forest and be done with this mess, to be done with everything she'd been involved with the past few years. She had just been imagining how good it would feel to be able to sit in her house and curl up with one of her favorite books when Oonugh's voice shattered her thoughts. Now the pair stared at each other silently, one resisting the urge to keep walking while the other tried to discern what was troubling the opposite.

"Oh, hi. Sorry, I had to take a walk, just so much went on today, you know?" Lavinia said quickly, evading any questions he might form. She began walking again, briskly, hoping that he would be satisfied with that answer and return to Synshlee. Her throat tightened with this thought and she swallowed hard, trying to rid her throat of the lump that formed there.

"That does not sound like you…normally you would want to surround yourself with your friends and family." Oonugh dodged logically, following after her. Lavinia glanced at him over her shoulder and picked up her pace of walk a bit.

"Well, there's always room for change, you know. I just feel like being alone." Lavinia said, struggling to keep the bitterness from her voice. Oonugh frowned and sped up to match his pace with hers. Lavinia sensed it, and walked faster, glaring over her shoulder at him as he too went faster.

"Would you just leave me alone?" she finally shouted, whipping around to glare at him. "You're not some helpless pet anymore, why do you keep following me?" her voice cracked with her words, and Oonugh drew back slightly in surprise. "Why don't you just go back there with your family and Synshlee and go trot off to a happy future already?" the strength of will holding her tears back finally broke, and she began to sob deep, heaving sobs. Ashamed of herself for succumbing to jealousy, she raised her hands to her face and covered it, trying to hide.

For a minute she cried and shook, letting out every emotion for every situation she'd pent up until then; the war, Ballard's death, worry over Terebel and Narlafayn, and now Synshlee's return. When she thought about each and every thing that had happened, she began to cry harder with fresh tears. She felt Oonugh's arms circle around her, and hold her gently against his chest. Although not as large as he once was, he was still big enough to nearly envelop her with his body. Although still hurt by his actions towards Synshlee, she relented into his arms and clung to him as hard as she could.

"I know how you struggle to be strong; I know you do it for your family and those around you. Please do not feel that you must be that way around me, especially when there is so much that is paining you." Oonugh said softly, stroking her hair. He kissed the crown of her head in an affectionate manner, the motion filling Lavinia with warmth. It was instantly dissolved a moment later as she thought of Synshlee, and she jerked away from him.

"Stop playing with me, just go back to Synshlee." She said bitterly, wiping her face. Oonugh blinked several times at her in surprise, shocked by her sudden change of attitude.

"I do not understand, you keep speaking of Synshlee…what has she to do with us?" he asked, confusion clear in his voice and expression. Lavinia frowned at him and sniffled, trying to will the tears to stop falling.

"You're going back with her, aren't you? You spent most of the time worrying for her, didn't you?" she said hotly, wiping her eyes again. She looked to the sky, trying to gather the strength to hold back her sadness. She felt as if she'd had enough time to cry; now it was time to stop. Oonugh's mouth dropped into an 'o' shape with her words, and then the tiniest of smiles appeared in its place.

"That is what is causing you such distress?" he asked, his voice wavering slightly with a laugh. Lavinia glared at him as he lifted a hand to caress her cheek, upset that he was finding amusement with her heartache. "I do not know what miracle has brought Synshlee back from the Abyss, but she is still a soul, Elf of Light. There was no life in her skin, in her eyes, when I touched her. I could not return to her side if I wanted to, unless I too, died." He said, his smile growing a bit as she lost her angry expression and looked at him with large eyes.

"But you…looked so happy with her…" Lavinia began, swallowing again as more tears threatened to spill. Noticing her struggle to retain composure, Oonugh leaned down and pressed his lips against hers in a chaste, yet loving kiss.

"It is true, Synshlee still holds some of my heart, and she always will. But my heart is not so closed as to only hold one dear to me…I can feel more, much more." He said as he drew away from her. She whimpered softly, deep in her throat as he took her hand and pressed it to his chest, right above his heart. It was thudding harder than she recalled it beating in a time of relaxation, and hers responded with a surge of hope. "I am glad to see her again, to know her feelings for me are still true, but right now, Elf of Light, you are the one dearest to me. You are my heart, my flame. It is from you that I wish to draw life from, not her." He pressed against her gently, and Lavinia had to crane her neck to gaze at his face properly. A blush rode high on her cheeks, and her chest heaved slightly as she struggled to keep a calm face even though his words were positively melting her on the inside. "I wish to know what you feel like, Lavinia, so that I may possess you fully." He said huskily, drawing down to kiss her again. Although logic said clearly in her mind that now was not the time or place for what he was promising, Lavinia shushed it harshly and clung to his shoulders as he dipped her backwards slightly to deepen the kiss. _I'll indulge this just a little bit of the way, alright?_ She snapped at it in her mind.

Several feet away from them, standing behind an outcropping of rock, Synshlee watched them with narrowed eyes. Being a soul, she could not indulge the feelings of rage and jealousy that were coursing through her now, less she risk becoming something demonic. Souls that became lesser demons could never again re-enter the abyss and be reborn, they were lost to nothingness once someone managed to slay them. To rip the pretty Light Elf from Oonugh and slam her head repeatedly into the rock wall would, unfortunately, turn Synshlee into something horrible and her love life was insignificant in comparison to what she was really there for.

"You can have him now then, you disgusting putrice of Elf…but he will be mine in the afterlife, and the next life I have." She growled softly. The gravel behind her shifted as someone walked towards her, and Synshlee turned to see who was intruding upon her moment of rage. Vuylay paused, hesitant to approach her mother, as lightning clearly displayed the look of hate present on her face.

"Am…I catching you at a bad time?" she asked meekly, shifting. Synshlee sighed in annoyance, embarrassed that Vuylay caught her wearing such a face. She lifted a hand to her forehead and rubbed it, trying to calm herself with the motion. Vuylay took it as a motion of anger, and turned away. "I'm sorry, I'll talk to you another time…" she said hastily, retreating.

"No, I'm just having trouble remembering that I'm dead and not alive, that's all." Synshlee said with a sigh, re-appearing in front of Vuylay and halting her. Vuylay yelped and backpedaled a bit, startled. She gave her daughter a feeble smile, which surprised Vuylay more than the sudden teleportation, as she'd never seen her mother smile at her before. "What did you need?" she asked, taking her by the arm and leading her gently towards the camp. Vuylay bit her lower lip as she tried to recall what she'd come there to ask her mother.

"Um…I got that letter you wrote me…before you died…" she began uneasily. Synshlee's smile dropped into her classic look of cold indifference and she released Vuylay's arm.

"I know, but you threw it away." She said without emotion. Vuylay's eyes bugged out as Synshlee waved her hand as if snapping her wrist. A piece of parchment appeared in her hand as she snapped it, crumpled and water-damaged. "You were going to ask me if I truly hated you as I wrote, weren't you?" Synshlee predicted, earning another look of disbelief from her. She gave her a thin-lipped smile and handed the paper over. "Read it now." She urged, walking to a dead tree and leaning against it as Vuylay began to read.

Vuylay,

By the time you read this, I'll probably be long dead. You're glad of that, aren't you? I don't blame you; I was a sorry excuse for a mother towards you.

If you haven't met her already, I had another girl, a sister for you. Her name is Sprissa; she'll be an Orc of the Duda-Mara tribe when she grows up. Her father, Oonugh, is quite possibly the only man I'll ever love in this lifetime. I'm sorry now that I couldn't have been a kinder mother towards you, having Sprissa has shown me how easy it is to be. I love her with all of my heart and soul, and I want her to grow up knowing that she was born out of love, not lust. They say we Dark Elves are unable to love, but I know now that is just a lie born out of the fear of the uncontrollable.

You won't like to hear this, but I feel that I must tell you the truth…I hated you, Vuylay. I hated the scorn you earned me while I was pregnant, and I hated the way you were still abnormal, even after Shilen intervened.

I don't know how much you know by now, but you are only half of the abomination which I gave life. The other half was taken by Shilen after she split the child into two beings, and raised who knows where. Perhaps Shilen wanted a non-demonic daughter herself, I'll never know. But you should know that those strange feelings you get are most likely things you're experiencing from your other half, I know this now.

I suppose I should explain why my baby was split in the first place. Once upon a time, when I was a young, foolish child, I had fallen into the seductive trap laid by an amorous god disguised as a Dark Elf. Yes Vuylay, you are half wind-god. Your father is Sayha himself.

You must know that, should you and your other half meet, the only way you can become whole again is to get to a state of near-death with her. Some cosmic power will activate then, and you'll be able to become the god-being you were born as. There is a price to this, however, because Amaia (Sprissa's Great-Grandmother and a Shaman) could not tell what would happen to each individual personality. Perhaps a new one would be formed from the merge, or perhaps you would still be you, only with the other half's memories added to your own. It might be better in the end to remain separate, but make sure you guard your other half carefully. Once one dies, the other will too.

I do not hate you any longer, Vuylay. I know how immature I was to blame my weakness upon you. I miss you terribly…I miss that little pout of yours, and how your cheeks puff out like chipmunk when you make it. I miss how you used to giggle at simple things as a baby, like how the light plays off of water. Sprissa is precious to me, but you are even more so, Vuylay. You are me, you are what I could've been if I hadn't been so stupid back then.

If all plays out well with my journey, then this letter will never reach you, for I am coming to get you, and I'm going to be a good mommy this time. I promise you, I'll never make you cry again.

Love,

Your mommy

Vuylay sniffled loudly and looked up at her mother, tears streaming down her face. She gave her a feeble attempt at a smile and nodded, trying to laugh through the tears. She failed however, and covered her face with the crumpled letter and sunk to her knees, crying almost as hard as Lavinia had just been crying moments before. Synshlee knelt beside her and placed her cool hand upon her back, rubbing it gently. With a sob, Vuylay threw herself onto her mother's lap, and hugged her around her waist as hard as she could. Synshlee stroked the hair from her cheeks gently, gazing at her with an unreadable, yet gentle expression.

"I wouldn't recommend fighting your other half right now…I don't know if your baby would survive the re-merge of souls, and that darling should be the most important thing on your mind right now." Synshlee said softly as Vuylay's sobbing faded into hiccupping. "If I could, I would make it so you don't go into what's ahead, but I have a feeling that man of yours is going to be stubborn and make you come with to make sure he can keep you safe." She chuckled lightly; amused that Vuylay would find someone so similar in personality to how Oonugh once was.

"I love you mommy." Vuylay hiccupped, hugging her mother tighter with a fresh wave of tears. Synshlee leaned over Vuylay as if to protect her, resting her head upon Vuylay's back.

"I love you too, darling." She whispered.


	35. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

_The Ball_

Scarlet von Halisha had been walking through a cold, dark tunnel for what felt like forever to Narlafayn. She was certain that she was being brought somewhere that would mean her death, but at that time, she didn't care. The only thing she could think of was Terebel, and how she would never see him again. Tears had ceased to fall, leaving an empty maw in her chest where her heart used to be. Scarlet carried her like a doll, and she let her limbs dangle bonelessly like one.

She blinked in pain as light flooded her vision, and raised a hand to shield her eyes. Her heart leapt into her throat as she realized Scarlet was now carrying her through the room outside of Frintezza's cathedral, the room that he'd been receiving the demons in when she escaped. The light was dim here, but after being in the darkness for so long it seemed as bright as daylight.

_Escape!_ The Hammer's voice pleaded as she let her muscles go limp again.

"No, just let them have their fun and be done with it." Narlafayn said aloud to it. Scarlet glanced at her with a raised eyebrow from the chest cavity of the demon but said nothing. She walked through the empty room and paused in front of the great doors leading into his cathedral. The doors were over fifty feet tall, and towered far above Scarlet's armor's head. If she weren't so empty of emotion, Narlafayn wondered if she'd be amazed that the doors moved so easily despite their height.

"I can kill you now if you'd like. He needs me too much for my punishment to be too severe." Scarlet suddenly said. Narlafayn slowly raised her head to look at her, her silver hair falling over her face like a mourners shroud. "I do not want him to gain power over you; he is not worthy to be a god. I can only kill you if you give me permission, which I will gladly do. You will be with your loved one then." Narlafayn blinked slowly at her through strands of hair, curiously wondering somewhere in the back of her mind if Scarlet was showing her some sort of pity, in her own demonic way.

_NO!_ The Hammer screeched, making Narlafayn wince. She raised a hand slowly to press the heel of her palm against her temple, trying to alleviate the pain that the Hammer's voice caused.

"I would gladly let you; however the Hammer doesn't want to die and I'm afraid you'd be destroyed trying." She said, her voice blank and without emotion. Scarlet's face darkened into a scowl, and she hissed through her teeth. With a twitch of her arm the demon armor's massive arm moved, slamming the great double doors open with one movement.

Frintezza looked up quickly as Scarlet stomped in, his hand poised where it had been resting on his chin as he paced back and forth in agitation. He stood in the center of the room, right where the ground was its warmest. Scarlet deposited Narlafayn ungracefully at his feet, and she scrambled to cover herself, suddenly aware that she was still nude. Fear began to bubble in her chest, the first emotion in hours, and she looked around herself fearfully. Her lips parted slightly and she began to pant in fear as her eyes darted over the theater seating in the walls. Where they had once been empty they were now full, the demons that had come for Frintezza's ball seated as if waiting for a play to begin. Some leaned over to their neighbor to murmur to each other as her frightened gaze found them, as if commenting on a part of a show.

"Disgraceful! Ambika I am appalled and ashamed of you!" Frintezza resumed his pacing as he spoke, anger visible in his movement. He threw his arms above his head in exasperation, to prove how appalled he was. "I offer you hospitality, and you spit in my face! I clothe you befitting a goddess, and you ruin it to what? Fornicate with the Destroyer himself!" He stopped pacing to shudder, as he had seen what had transpired between Narlafayn and Terebel and had to resist the urge to vomit from it. He spun on his heel and kneeled in front of her, breathing angrily through his nose. His eyes were narrowed behind his mask, and Narlafayn found herself wondering why he wore it all the time.

"I grow impatient with your stubborn mortal soul, Ambika. Be rid of it this instant!" he snapped. Narlafayn's eyes widened in horror as she realized Frintezza was not speaking to her, but to the Hammer inside of her. She began to tremble in fear, realizing that the Hammer did have the power to kill her, to dissolve her like particles of sand. Frintezza held her gaze for a moment longer as if waiting for the Hammer to obey his words, before growling deep in his throat and standing up. With a shout of rage he swiped his arm across one of the shelves around his raised podium, flinging the lit candles there to the floor. Narlafayn winced as hot wax spattered on her skin as the candles landed around her, and looked back at the angry Prince fearfully.

"Be rid of that soul NOW, Ambika! How much longer are you going to hide? Do you not realize that only I can keep you safe? Do you not understand that you are unwanted? That you are going to be hunted to the ends of the earth?" he shouted. His voice echoed to the ceiling of the cathedral, and several demons raised opera glasses as they leaned towards the railing with interest. His words stung her deep in her soul, as she'd heard those words before.

"That's not true!" Narlafayn said defiantly, finding her voice. It was thick with newly formed tears, and she swallowed against them, even though she knew it would be futile in the end. "_He_ wanted me!"

Frintezza interrupted her before she could continue with a loud, high-pitched laugh. It sent chills down her spine to hear it, and how it crescendoed into something darker, something more insane than she'd ever heard before. "_HE_ wanted you? Who might that _HE_ have been, Ambika? The Destroyer? Wanted to use you perhaps, to fulfill his part of the legend, but never wanted _you_." He cackled. He snapped his attention back to her and walked towards her at a crouch, to see into her tear-filled eyes better. "Did you perhaps believe that he loved you, my dear? Oh you poor thing. Tsk tsk." He chided, reaching a hand out to caress her cheek. Narlafayn jerked away from his touch, the movement releasing the hold she had on a sob and letting it surface. "Nobody loves you Ambika. Not the Destroyer, not the gods. They all want to use you, you must've noticed. Gran Kain to finally be free of his wife's power, Shilen to kill her mother…even Paagrio had plans for you…sad isn't it? So much hate for such a small speck in the world." Narlafayn dissolved into sobs, unable to keep her strength of will any longer. Frintezza tsked again and began petting her head as if she were a child. His hand strayed down to her cheek again, and rested on her jaw.

"Only _I_ love you, Ambika…" he said softly, stroking her jaw with her thumb. "Let me show you how much I love you by ridding you of that pesky mortal soul!" Narlafayn gasped as his hand closed around her throat and clenched it. She stared at him with large eyes as he began to squeeze, cutting off air and blood to her head. Both of her hands flew out to claw at his face, to try and wound him in some way to get him to release her. Shame over her nudity forgotten, Narlafayn struggled, kicking her legs and grasping for him while trying to gasp for breath. His arms were long, much longer than any normal humanoid creature, and she couldn't reach him.

_I don't want to die!_ Narlafayn thought wildly in her head, _Help me!_ She pleaded to the Hammer.

_But death…pain stop…_ it responded. Narlafayn thrashed, trying to deny what the Hammer had said. She wanted to be with Terebel more than anything, but she knew in her heart that's not what he would've wanted of her. Her grief seemed to touch the Hammer, as it suddenly shook within her, with an emotion she couldn't identify. Frintezza's eyes lit up as one of her pupils expanded and became black, thinking he was truly killing Narlafayn and the Hammer was taking control of the body. His happiness turned to first confusion, and then dissolved into a cry of pain and horror as he realized Narlafayn had grabbed onto his arm, and her hands had decayed his clothes and skin down to the bone. He jerked away from her before she had a chance to completely remove his arm, and stood up with his own sob of disbelief.

Narlafayn rolled onto her side and pushed herself to her knees, coughing. The blood was rushing back to her head in one great burst, and she struggled to stay conscious despite the black specks dancing in her vision.

"You bitch, how dare you wound him!" Scarlet cried, swinging the great blade the armor had sheathed upon its back as it carried her. With a cry of fear Narlafayn stumbled to her feet and began to run blindly across the cathedral room. Scarlet pursued with speed that was shocking for such a huge bulk.

She slammed into the opposite wall, her fingers scrambling for some sort of hold to try and climb the walls with. She whimpered in fear again as Scarlet closed in, her fingers finding a groove in the wall at the same time. She pulled hard on the groove and found that it was the doorknob for the door that led into the tiny shrine room housing the God Slayer. She had but a second to realize this as the Hammer began to screech shrilly in her head, bringing her to her knees with pain. More afraid of Frintezza and Scarlet than she was of the sword, Narlafayn reached out, her fingers wrapping around the gilded hilt just as Scarlet thrust her great red blade into the room, its tip set to impale Narlafayn through the middle.

Ryonai and the tiny chunk left of Aden's army walked cautiously through the Wall of Argos towards the outer edge of it where the Imperial Tomb of the Elmoreden laid. Normally such a journey would have taken them days to complete, but a strange spirit claiming to be a vassal from Baium's era had appeared and somehow transported the entire group to an altar near the path leading there. The entire group had been traveling in silence, those who were friendly with one another huddling closer together as the air grew wintrier. Dusty patches of snow covered the ground of the tiny ravine they trudged through. Tiny flakes drifted down from the churning red clouds above them, as if trying to cheer up the mood.

"Is this it?" Ryonai asked no one, as the group stopped amongst pieces of broken statues. In front of them, carved out of the mountain it led into, was the entrance to the Imperial Tomb. Its entrance was nearly identical to the entryway into the Pilgrim's Temple, only the statues that held torches here were angrier, less welcoming. A waft of dank air blew out from the inside, and Vuylay felt a wave of nausea hit her that she was certain wasn't morning sickness. Ryonai put his arm over her shoulders and held her as close as he could without causing her discomfort. His armor was cold, and he didn't want to make her sick by being pressed heavily against it.

"Yes, this is that cursed place." Vlad's voice came darkly. Several heads turned to look at him, as they'd forgotten he was there with how silent he was being. "I never wished to come back here, yet here I am." He added, more to himself than to others. Ryonai glanced at his comrade and then back to the entrance, and swallowed hard.

"Greetings." A voice said reverently. A ghost, glowing white in the dim light just inside the entryway, appeared and bowed low. "Forgive my rudeness; I have no name to give you. I have come to lead you to my liege, Crown Prince Frintezza." The Nameless Spirit stood again, his eyes black and haunting against the whiteness of the rest of him. "You have arrived just in time; the Ball has not yet begun."

"That's nice and all, but we're just here to get our friends back, so tell your liege we're sorry for declining to attend." Ryonai responded with a frown. He didn't like obvious traps, and this one was so obvious it was almost painful. The ghost just stared at him patiently, and Ryonai felt his temper spark with how uncooperative it was being. "Listen you, I almost lost a war, had to watch some friends of mine bite it, and just found out I'm going to be a father. I don't have time for these stupid games that candy-ass Frintezza might have planned nor do I care…"

"Ryonai…" Vuylay breathed in fright, placing a hand upon his chest. Ryonai paused mid rant to look at her, and found her gazing around herself in fear. Frowning slightly, he lifted his head, his own eyes widening. They were no longer standing outside of the Imperial Tomb, but within it somewhere. Four hallways stretched out in each direction from the center of the room they stood in, and bodies of the deceased were pushed against the walls. Some were skeletons, others appeared to have been placed there months, even days before. A domed skylight above them let in dim filtered light from outside, and torches, placed high upon the pillars supporting the ceiling, cast flickering shadows around them.

"Son of a bitch! Doesn't anyone listen to me?" Ryonai shouted angrily. Vuylay clenched his arm again, and he turned his angry glare onto the spirit once more. Before he could fire some colorful words at him, the air wavered behind him like heat steaming off the ground, and a doorway took form.

"Just when I thought I'd seen all the bizarre things of the world just being near you…" Komugi murmured, leaning in close to Zaken. He frowned and glared down at her, but said nothing. "Ah, who am I kidding, nothing beats a short zombie in a huge corsair hat. Bring on the apocalypse." She said, stretching her neck.

"Please follow me." The spirit said, pushing the door open with a bow. Taking another calculating glance around the room, Ryonai discerned that there was no way of getting out of Frintezza's 'hospitality' at this time as he had no idea where they were, now. Sighing in agitation, he stood up tall, pressed Vuylay to his side protectively, and led the way into the magical doorway. It slammed shut just before Zaren, Kallina and a handful of others could enter, dissolving into nothingness and leaving them in the room.

"Hey, what's going on?" Zaren asked the air, looking around the room for the doorway.

"You are not invited; my master does not like many visitors at once." A gravelly female voice said. Zaren and the others turned towards it, and backed up a few steps in fright and shock at what they saw. The red Shadow of Halisha stood at the entryway to one of the halls, her lipless mouth grinning menacingly. There were more growls as two other Shadows joined the first; the blue one that had taken Narlafayn before, and a new yellow one, each in the entryway to one of the halls that stretched from the room. Zaren and the others drew their weapons and backed up cautiously, their eyes darting between the Shadows as the women began to laugh cold, hissing laughs.

Ryonai and the others were led through room after room that stank of demons and undead, but were devoid of them. Vuylay had swooned more than once, her body more receptive to the odors than the others were. Needing to be able to respond to a threat quicker than the others since he was at the head, Ryonai relinquished protecting her onto Oonugh, so he could draw his sword if he needed. She now advanced with them in Oonugh's arms, as the Orc found they could move faster if he carried her.

Organ music sounded faintly through a room as they entered, and the party glanced around fearfully. It was strangely upbeat for a pipe organ dirge, and only added to the foreboding atmosphere rather than relieve it.

"My lord is waiting for you in here." The spirit said, stopping before the great double doors and bowing low, but not opening them. "I shall take my leave then, please enjoy your stay." He vanished then, and Ryonai took a breath before reaching out and pushing on the door. They swung open magically with just the touch of his fingers, and Haibane got its first look at the grand cathedral that lay beyond.

Frintezza sat upon the raised podium at the far wall, playing his organ. The pipes the music emerged from steamed as if the organ was filled with the souls of the dead, and they were seeking escape. There were so many candles lining the walls, and the raised shelves around his organ, that the room was as bright as day. Portraits of demons decorated the walls around the cathedral, and Sharmin shivered as it felt as if their eyes were following them as they moved.

"Oh, we have visitors, I see!" Frintezza said, not ceasing in his playing. Sitting with her legs dangling over the podium, Scarlet watched as Ryonai led the group to the center of the room. Normally he would play the music that would command her into battle, but this time she was relieved of her duties. "Welcome disgusting worms from Aden, have you come to apologize for your treatment of my honored father?"

"Seeing as how your oily face gives me the creeps, I'd have to say no." Ryonai said smoothly, earning a few looks of shock. Frintezza cackled, but gave no motion of if he were laughing at Ryonai or his own insanity. "I've come to retrieve my friends, so just hand them over and we can all go on being merry in our own ways. I will use force if I have to; you don't want to mess with me and my army." He said, becoming annoyed with Frintezza's playing.

"Army?" he asked in a scathing tone, his fingers still dancing across the organ keys. "A mere forty-five is an army these days? Or are you boasting of strength that you clearly do not display?" he chuckled. Ryonai's eyes widened and he whipped around to face his group. His face darkened as he, and those behind him, realized their numbers had been chopped down to forty five. Some began to panic, not realizing they'd lost the rest of their group back when they passed through the door.

"Dangerous boasting for such a weak looking human." Scarlet said, grinning darkly. Ryonai growled deep in his throat and whipped back around to face Frintezza.

"I'm here for a Light Elf named Narlafayn and a Dark Elf named Terebel, hand them over because I know they're here!" Ryonai shouted. Honestly he didn't know if they were there, but his gut instinct told him they were.

"There are no Dark Elves here, or Light Elves named Narlafayn." Frintezza said lightly, still playing. Scarlet chuckled again, and Ryonai clenched his fists at how this conversation was getting them nowhere.

"Frintezza, I'll kill you!" Vlad suddenly shouted, startling everyone. With a howling shout he drew his blades and ran towards the Prince's back, his expression one of a man who had lost everything. There was a breeze of wind, and Vlad's blades were stopped centimeters from Frintezza's clothing. Vlad's eyes widened as he realized it had been Narlafayn who'd stopped his blade with the great golden sword she held in her hands. His lips parted into a sneer although his eyes were wide with horror, a look she met without emotion.

The entirety of her eyes was as black as the deepest parts of the Abyss, and reflected Vlad's angry face like mirrors. Black armor covered her body in a dark mockery of the white Avadon armor she once wore with how black wings sprung from the back plate. The runes that had appeared on her neck when she and Terebel had destroyed half of his unit were there again, glowing and smoldering with an inner fire that did not consume.

Narlafayn pushed him out of the blade lock with surprising strength, throwing him back towards Haibane. He landed against the group, loosing his balance and stumbling backwards. Anasala and Broud caught him, and pushed him upright once more.

"Narlafayn…" Ryonai breathed, his eyes large at how she looked now.

"Now if you had asked for a Light Elf named Ambika, I would've had to respond with 'yes, yes she's here, but I doubt she is a friend of yours'." Frintezza said lightly.

"Narlafayn, it's us! Why are you protecting him?" Vuylay called from the back of the group. Narlafayn stood calmly below Frintezza's podium, her expression not revealing if she recognized Vuylay's voice any longer.

"Ambika, these flies are getting annoying, could you be a delicious treat and see about exterminating them for us? One cannot plot to kill the gods when there is such annoying buzzing going on around one's head." Frintezza stated, his voice as smooth as silk. Haibane shifted on their feet and drew their weapons as Narlafayn changed her grip on the God Slayer.

"I don't think so Frintezza, I need some of those people to live still." Shizuka's voice came. She and Valakas appeared in a burst of flame, both glaring at the Crown Prince. Valakas was in his human disguise, but Vuylay cowered in fear as the form that met her eyes was still that of the dragon. Scarlet surged to her feet and hissed through her teeth, a noise that Valakas echoed. Shizuka put a hand on his chest to keep him from returning to his true form and launching himself at the demon.

"The whelps of Shilen join us as well? Such a pleasant surprise!" Frintezza said in glee. "To what do I owe this honor to be visited by those directly borne from the gods?" Scarlet continued to glare at Valakas despite Frintezza's welcome, and Narlafayn still stared at Haibane without emotion.

"I want that Hammer, Frintezza, and I won't stand for you to say no." Shizuka said indignantly, smirking at Scarlet. Her glaze flickered over to Haibane, her eyelids lowering slightly as she looked at Vuylay, and then returned to Frintezza's back. "You've allowed it to awaken, I see. Kill the mortal's soul to do it? Such a nasty man you are." Frintezza giggled with her words and leaned towards the keyboard as his fingers danced out a tittering stanza.

"She willingly gave her life, whelp; I merely showed her the way." He said between bursts of high-pitched laughter. "I'm afraid you'll have to help Ambika now Scarlet, I hope you don't mind." Scarlet's response was a dark grin, and she faded from where she stood next to him.

"I gladly accept your orders, master." She said, her face fading last. Shizuka frowned and glared at Frintezza.

"You would dare attack children of the goddess of death herself? You fool, Frintezza! We shall be your undoing!" Shizuka snapped, trembling with her rage. Frintezza giggled again, and paused in playing.

"I know you, deceitful one. You are daughter of Shilen in name only, for the blood of the wind god is what runs deep in your veins. You are not even whole, so please tell me what it is I must fear from you again? Your pet dragon? Surely not, for if I even mention his father's name he'll cower in fright and run back to his volcano in the north to hide." He laughed. Valakas stiffened next to Shizuka, and he began to growl softly in his throat.

The walls of the cathedral began to shake, dust and stray pieces of mortar falling from above. Frintezza stood from his seat and looked around his cathedral quickly, trying to discern what was causing the quake. An insane kind of rage began to show on his face as his eyes searched the walls, the demons in their box seating still watching them as if nothing was amiss.

Narlafayn's black eyes widened and her lips parted slightly as the doors into Frintezza's cathedral burst open with a gust of spectral air. Holding the Akamanah with their points facing away from him, Terebel stood on the other side, glaring. "The Destroyer!" the demons in the walls began to murmur to each other fearfully.

"I think you have something that belongs to me, Demon-Bound one." Terebel said darkly, his voice sounding clearly through the cathedral. Narlafayn took a hesitant step towards him, her face relaxing into a look of shock and relief that was clearly Narlafayn and not the Hammer. The emotion faded a moment later as a gold-colored flame swirled around the sword, reminding the Hammer whom was its master now.

"So many people have come to my ball, how grand!" Frintezza exclaimed. He threw his head back and began to laugh, his voice ringing off of the stone stalactites and glass skylight overhead. He turned and stepped around his bench, flipping the tails of his coat out as he sat down so that they would dangle over the edge. "Well then, shall we get the dance started?" he asked, poising his hands above the ivory keys. He began to play a mournful sounding dirge, chuckling to himself as the spirit essence began to steam out of the pipes of the organ.

From the demonic portraits on the wall, horned spirits with no bodies emerged with teeth and claws sharper than a spirit should have. Gatz held his spear out in preparation, his mind set on protecting Sharmin, even though fear was plainly written on his face. A wisp of smoke appeared over the center of the room and expanded into a swirling cloud vortex. Lightning flashed and crackled from within, and the smell of brimstone filled the room. Ryonai backed the group up, his eyes upon the vortex, unsure of what to expect from it.

"Let me free, the bitch is coming!" Valakas snarled, trying to push away from Shizuka so that he could return to his true form. There was a large crackle of lightning from the vortex, and the demonic armor of Scarlet von Halisha dropped into the room. Those standing on the floor save Valakas and Narlafayn were thrown off their feet as the ground shook as she landed. The armor roared like a beast as everyone tried to scramble back to their feet, and Scarlet smirked coldly from the safety of the chest cavity before launching herself at Haibane.

Valakas tore away from Shizuka just as Scarlet raised her sword to slash at them. His form elongated and grew as he ran across the room, and Scarlet gasped in horror as Valakas the dragon closed his jaws around her armor. He shook his head like a dog with a toy as he tried to dislodge the armor from his mouth and get it down his throat, but Scarlet had somehow managed to get a grip on his jaws to keep from being moved. He breathed fire out in a great burst, the upper wall on the opposite side of the room scorching with the flames. Scarlet laughed mercilessly, amused that he was having such difficulty fighting her.

The portrait spirits flew at Haibane, attacking them in Scarlet's stead, as Narlafayn advanced upon them. Ryonai grunted in strain as one of the spirits swiped at him with razor sharp claws, which he deflected with his shield. His eyes widened as Narlafayn raised the two-handed sword she carried as she neared him, preparing herself to cut him down with it. He raised his sword in desperation while his other arm held the shield that blocked the spirit. A black shadow darted between him and her, and the God Slayer was deflected in a shower of black rimmed sparks by the Akamanah. Terebel narrowed his eyes as Narlafayn regained her momentum, and crouched, prepared for her next swing.

Vuylay stood at the back of the room in worry, trying to watch everyone fighting the portrait spirits at once. Her healers instinct kept screaming at her to get out amongst them and fight with them and keep them healed, but maternal fear kept her rooted where she stood. Feeling another presence approach, she glanced to the side, then gasped and jumped away from the wall as Shizuka's iron stave slammed into it.

"You smell different." Shizuka said darkly, glaring at her. She twirled the staff around her, and ran at Vuylay again, its head aimed for her midsection. Vuylay dodged and rolled, reaching into the small supply pack she kept with her at all times and pulling out the tiny capsule that would magically become a bow. Realizing she had no arrows once the bow had appeared, Vuylay whimpered and dodged again as Shizuka swung at her once more. "Tell me why you smell different!" she shouted. With a desperate noise she brought the staff over her head like an axe and swung it like a bat. It clipped Vuylay in the shoulder and she fell to the ground with a cry of pain. Holding the spot of impact, Vuylay looked up at Shizuka with a pained expression, trying to distract Shizuka with her eyes long enough to heal herself.

Shizuka raised the staff over her head again and then paused as she searched Vuylay's face. Her lips parted in a horrified look as she found something in them, and then slowly rage took over. "You're pregnant!" she snarled, raising the staff again. "How dare you get pregnant without my permission? HOW DARE YOU!" she cried wildly, slamming the head of the staff into the ground over and over again. Vuylay narrowly rolled out of its reach each time, and finally scrambled to her feet.

"Since when do I need your permission to live my own life?" Vuylay spat, returning Shizuka's look of hatred in full. Shizuka only cried out and swung the staff again, trying to clip her in the midsection.

"I'll kill that abomination! I'll kill it and then I'll make you disappear!" she cried hysterically.

Terebel and Narlafayn had moved away from where Haibane was fighting the portrait spirits and exchanged blows. They were evenly matched with the powers the blades were bestowing them with, and could not find an opening. A pained look crossed Narlafayn's face for a moment, and the Hammer twitched as the flash of memory of the dreams she had where she had fought him resurfaced. Desperation creeping into her expression, Narlafayn cried out and swung the God Slayer as hard as she could, aiming for his head. Her heart hurt, she wanted the pain to stop! _This is the only way it will end,_ the sword said in its whispering voice. Terebel blocked the swords and pushed out of them, jumping backwards to avoid a second swing. He regained his stance the moment he landed and began to walk towards her with his head lowered slightly and blades pointing outward. The dream flickered across her inner eye, his journey towards her matching the one she'd seen in her dreams perfectly. The blackness retreated from her eyes, and Narlafayn drew in a gasping breath as if she hadn't been breathing. The God Slayer slipped from her fingers and fell to the floor with a loud clatter, its screaming voice sounding loudly through her head and bringing her to her knees once more.

"Terebel." She gasped, looking up at him weakly as he drew closer. His eyes still the warped ones of The Destroyer, his face contorted into a look of hatred as he raised the Akamanah. Knowing that this was the only way it could end, Narlafayn shut her eyes, tears escaping them as her flesh blocked the sight of him. With a snarl, Terebel brought the blades down, their points aiming for her chest.

"Why won't you die already?" Valakas asked around Scarlet's armored body. She cackled mercilessly as he continued to thrash around, trying to dislodge her from his mouth in any way he could.

"After you!" she laughed, taking her sword and stabbing him through his lower jaw. He howled and slammed his head against the wall opposite of the demons, the room shaking and showering everyone with dust and mortar again. Scarlet laughed as his attempt was futile, enjoying the fall of blood as it spattered to the marble floor.

Vlad fought against his own portrait spirit, grunting in frustration as he was pushed farther and farther from Frintezza. The man whom had caused most of the pain and hardship in his life, whom had caused the war that took Emixia from him, was within reach yet so far away. Dark rage and hatred began to build and fill him to the core of his being and soul, and he cut at the vapor spirit as hard as he could ungracefully.

"Vlad, focus!" Amari shouted from nearby as he and Anasala tried to take down a spirit themselves. He clenched his teeth in frustration as his call went unheard, and returned his focus upon the spirit.

"Why don't you conjure up some of that super magic you have? It'd be really handy in a time like this!" Anasala shouted as she spun with her blades.

"I'm trying to, but I can't seem to find it anymore!" Amari said hotly, launching his trademark wind twister spell at the spirit. It dissipated as if it had been a weak wind spell with a swipe from the spirit's claws.

"What?" Anasala exclaimed, ducking another swipe from the spirit. "Do you mean can't find it like it's gone?" She flashed him a look of disbelief before returning her focus to the spirit and deflecting its claws again. Amari gritted his teeth and did not respond, for he didn't know how to respond. Now that he was away from Shizuka and away from that place near the Abyss, it was like that magic that he had was suddenly missing. He felt like half a man, and extremely weak, and it was frustrating.

Nearby, Ryonai grunted and cut at the portrait spirit, clenching his jaw in frustration as no blow seemed to be able to hit it. Movement caught the corner of his eye, and he raised his shield to deflect the spirit's claws as he turned his head towards it. His heart leapt into his throat as he caught sight of Shizuka trying desperately to wound Vuylay's torso. With a shout he pushed the spirit away as hard as he could with his shield, and then dashed for them.

"You will not have that child! Who dared to father a child in your disgusting body? WHO WAS IT?" Shizuka screamed. She caught Vuylay in the side, and she cried out as she was knocked to the ground again. Fear froze her, and Vuylay could only look up in fear as Shizuka raised the staff above her head. There was a sickening noise from behind her, and Shizuka's eyes widened as blood began to spread on her white majestic robes. She looked down in horror, her arms still above her head, to find Ryonai holding the sword that had stabbed her in her side, his face contorted into a look of mournful sadness. Vuylay cried out loudly, her back bowing as Shizuka lost control over the block of feeling between them, and she too felt the wound Ryonai had just made.

"The child is mine, Shizuka." Ryonai said, his voice cracking with tears. Shizuka stepped away from him, her body wobbling as she struggled to remain standing. She pulled the sword from her body with her movement, blood gushing from the wound as the blade was freed from her flesh. Shizuka pressed a hand to the wound and drew it away to look at her palm in horror. Her eyes found Ryonai's again, her brow knitting together as if asking him why. She wobbled once more, falling to the floor this time.

"Shizuka!" Valakas shouted. With a toss of his head he finally dislodged Scarlet, throwing her into the wall that seated the demons. They hissed and shouted as she crushed some, their blood spilling out of the box and pouring down the wall. He returned to his human form as he dashed across the room, falling to his knees beside her.

Still poised in the position she'd offered herself in, Narlafayn's eyes snapped open as she felt not swords, but arms encircle her body. She blinked and raised her head, her throat tightening as she found Terebel hugging her protectively to himself. He pulled away to look into her face and caress it with one hand, his expression one of both mournful sadness and relief. His eyes were still the disturbing enveloping green of The Destroyer, but he was Terebel on the inside. Narlafayn sobbed once and hugged him back fiercely.

"I thought you were dead!" she cried, holding him as if she were afraid he'd fly away.

"I was…" Terebel said softly. Narlafayn pulled away with a gasp to look at him with large eyes. He gazed back at her calmly, his tiny slit pupil searching her violet eyes as she searched his.

The room shook once more, and the group fighting the portrait spirits had to struggle to stay on their feet. The demons in the opera seating began to make noise as if protesting, and the light coming in through the skylight suddenly became a red bloodier than what the moon could give out. There was a burst of dark energy within the room, and Gatz, Sharmin and Komugi were knocked off their feet from the force of it. Zaken cried out in pain and dropped to the ground, his hands over his ears, as a familiar keening wail ripped through his head.

_Wield me creature of two worlds, for your anguish and hatred has called me forth from my master's side. Wield me and take your revenge._ The Zariche's voice whispered. Gripped firmly in Vlad's hands, a demonic grin spread on his face as he lifted the sword and dashed for the podium. His hair had become nearly spiky from the sword's appearance, and his canines almost vampiric. As he ran, heavy armor formed in a spectral smoke and became solid, covering him better than his own Tallum could. A helmet formed over his face as he stopped abruptly at the podium's edge and used the momentum from it to swing the Zariche.

"Master!" Scarlet screamed as her armor tried to stand. Her cry went ignored, and Frintezza's back arched as the Zariche cut through it diagonally. A tattered red cape sprung from the backplate of the new armor that covered Vlad and elegantly flowed with his swing. Frintezza did not cry out as he fell forward, collapsing upon his organ with a blare of uneven notes. The spirits that Haibane fought suddenly vanished, leaving the group bewildered.

"NO!" Scarlet screamed, for if Frintezza died, it would surely be her end as well. Finally on her feet again, she charged forward and picked Vlad up as if he were a doll. His reflexes inhumanly fast; Vlad took the Zariche and stabbed it through the armor's wrist as if the blade were a dagger and not a gigantic two-handed blade. Both Scarlet and her armor howled in pain, and she threw him as hard as she could. Vlad flew through the air and crashed through the skylight and into the air beyond. In their opera seats, the demons began to howl and roar, and some began climbing down the walls like spiders. Now that Frintezza was injured, they could act freely as they wished, and they all had one target in mind.

Terebel held Narlafayn protectively as the demons charged towards them, and sneered. A few demons in the front faltered, hesitant to advance as they remembered what he was. The hesitation was brief, and Narlafayn buried her head against Terebel's breastplate as they dashed forward.

"ENOUGH!" a voice boomed through the room. Black inky water suddenly gushed from the ground like a fountain of oil, and Shilen emerged from its center. The demons began to moan in fright, for they knew of her relationship to her father, and even though they were on equal power with Gran Kain, they still feared the torment he could give them. Shilen gazed around the room with a look of hateful rage, her eyes coming to rest upon Terebel and Narlafayn.

"Mother, help me!" Shizuka sobbed from the ground, reaching her bloodied hand out to Shilen. Valakas held her up with one hand over the wound, trying to cease the blood with pressure. Shilen looked at her, but did not move forward or show signs of worry. "Mother please! He stabbed me! I don't want to die!" she cried.

"I do not know you, begone from my sight!" Shilen snapped. Shizuka's eyes widened with her words, and her sniffling ended.

"Mother!" She gasped; shocked that Shilen would say such a thing. "How could you say that? Have I not done everything you asked, perfectly?"

"You have done NOTHING that I have asked for!" Shilen shouted. "I could overlook you killing the Seal of Gnosis when I merely asked for you to immobilize him, but now you involve yourself in the games of a foolish mortal. What did you intend to do with the Hammer once you had it? Kill me and take over my Abyss?" Shilen's voice hit Shizuka's soul like balls of ice, and her eyes welled with tears again.

"I only wanted to help you mother…" Shizuka sniffled. Shilen held up a hand to cease her voice, and turned away from her.

"Begone I said, you are just another foolish Elf to me now!" she said. His mouth set in a grim line, Valakas held Shizuka to his chest protectively and they disappeared into a burst of flame just as Shizuka let out a keening wail. Shilen turned her attention back to the rest of the occupants in the room, and then returned her gaze to Narlafayn and Terebel. She pointed at them, her long manicured fingernail stained black with polish. "Give me that one, he must not be part of this world." She commanded, pointing at Terebel. Narlafayn gasped and clung to him tighter, trying to protect him as he was protecting her.

"Funny, I thought it was through your games that I was born you slut." Terebel spat, glaring at her. Shilen's lips parted in shock with his words, and then her face contorted into rage. "And what do you plan on doing with me if I go with you? Try to get me to impregnate you like Shizuka tried to get me to do to her?" he asked bitterly, holding Narlafayn tightly as if he were afraid she'd react to his words. Normally she knew she would, but now was not the time for it.

"I would never let your body tainted with my father's blood touch my own." Shilen hissed, stepping towards them. "To another world you will go, since I cannot kill those of my family. You cannot remain here as you are, your mortal life is dead and you are now a lesser god of nothing but destruction." Narlafayn looked up to Terebel in shock, trying hard to not believe what she was saying. Tears welled in her eyes again as Terebel continued to stare at Shilen with a clenched jaw, telling her the truthfulness of the goddess' words better than his voice could. Swallowing her tears she pushed away from him and stood, facing Shilen bravely.

"Send me to another world then. It's me that you have to keep him from so that he doesn't fulfill some sort of prophesy, right?" Narlafayn said, staring straight into the goddess' eyes. Shilen sized her up for a moment before scoffing.

"Unfortunately, it must be him." She said haughtily. "He can never go back to what he was now, the thing that has brought him back to life from the death the demon gave him was his godhead, and it has awoken. He isn't mortal anymore, Vessel of the Hammer, he is like me, only lesser so because he has no purpose, a god without a name, without an element or aspect to govern. He must go into another world or the call of the prophesy will be too great for him to resist." Terebel stood and placed his hands on Narlafayn's shoulders as she tried to protest. He shook his head as she turned to look at him. After a moment of composure he looked up at Shilen.

"I appreciate your concern for the world even though I know you only wish to destroy it," He began, smirking as the look of horror returned to her face, "but I think I'll decline for now, seeing as I have no desire to destroy the world. I just want to be with the people closest to me." Shilen narrowed her eyes as he hugged Narlafayn, and led her towards where Haibane was recovering from the spirits.

"You choose death then, so be it." Shilen snarled, disappearing in another fountain of dark water. Ignoring the goddess' angry final words, Terebel looked down at Narlafayn and smiled, brushing a strand of hair from her face. She blushed and ducked her head down, embarrassed by his open show of affection.

"I hate to break up tender moments, because I think we could all use one right about now, but shouldn't we be worrying about other pressing issues? Perhaps making plans to get out of this hell hole?" Komugi called, drawing everyone's attention. Zaken was leaning heavily on one side of her, and she motioned with her free hand with difficulty. The demons were slowly regaining their courage, and began to slink towards the group, hissing and growling like serpents and beasts.

"Escape? I think not…you will not take Ambika from me…I've waited too long to become a god." Frintezza's voice came, raspy and weak. Scarlet was helping him back to his organ as if he were elderly, and placed his hands upon the keys. "The Fugue of Death, Scarlet." He rasped, and somehow found the strength to play. Those of Haibane whom had crouched to the ground jumped to their feet at the sound of his organ, trying to find the strength and will to return to battle.

"Yes, master." Scarlet said darkly. She stood up straight in her armor as he played, and a metal plate suddenly closed over the cavity. The armor roared and arched its back as smoke began to rise around it, and larger wings sprung from its back. A demonic mockery of a centaur's body replaced the armor's torso from the waist down, and the skin right below its abdomen elongated into a head with sharp teeth, but lacking eyes and a nose. The skin above the mouth suddenly stretched and warped, and Scarlet's face appeared there. The armor and the new mouth roared together, shaking the room with the force of it.

"Run." Terebel said, pushing on Narlafayn. Without hesitation or question why, Haibane raced out of the cathedral and through the room beyond. Scarlet roared again, the demons in the room echoing the cry, and the ground began to shake as they pursued. "This way, this is the only way out." Terebel urged, pushing them towards a tunnel acting as an air vent. The group entered as fast as they could, and Mune experienced a moment of dejavu as she climbed through the tunnel that was only big enough to allow crawling. Terebel went in last, his legs disappearing into the darkness beyond just as Scarlet's sword came down on the spot where they were a moment before. The armor's head now acting as her own, she leaned down and snarled as she found them out of reach in a space much too small for her or any of the demons with her.

"To the surface if you're not cowards of the dark! They will not escape us!" the face above the frightening torso-mouth shouted in her voice. The demons hissed and snarled in approval, and she led the way to a demon-friendly route to the top.

The group emerged into pre-dawn light at an indiscernible location near the mouth of the Pilgrim's Temple. Each breathed a sigh of relief as they left the air vent, some tumbling to the grass in relief and exhaustion, happy to be in the fresh air once more.

"Is it over?" Evzen asked, falling onto his side next to where Mune had collapsed.

"I think so, they can't get to the surface without going through the Imperial Tomb, and I think we're miles from that." Ryonai responded, falling to his bottom and breathing out heavily. He held Vuylay close to him, who was still recovering from the shock of feeling Shizuka being stabbed. Terebel stepped away from the group, his eyes trained on the entrance to the Temple. A low rumbling met his ears before the others, and he pressed his lips into a thin line. Noticing his expression as she approached, Narlafayn put a hand on his shoulder, and gazed at him in worry. Terebel attempted to smile feebly at her, and took her hand in both of his.

"Narlafayn." He said with a smile, turning to face her fully. "My silver-haired vixen." He kissed her hand, earning an embarrassed giggle from her. His expression turned serious and he raised a hand to caress her cheek. "Being with you has made me feel things that I never thought I could feel…and even though you made me wait three years for a proper start to the relationship, I'd never exchange the days for anything different." He said, his thumb stroking her cheek. Narlafayn smiled in embarrassment, a blush forming on her cheeks. "I just want you to know that no one has ever been as special in my heart as you have been…" Narlafayn's embarrassed smile faded as she watched his face, catching a look of sadness in his eyes.

"Terebel, why are you telling me this now? What's wrong?" Narlafayn asked loudly, alarmed. Her voice drew the attention of Ryonai, Evzen and Mune, and they looked at them.

Terebel swallowed hard, his adam's apple suddenly prominent and bobbing with the movement. His eyebrows rising in a sad expression even though he fought hard against it, he placed a hand on her as she clutched the hand that was pressed to her cheek desperately. Fear was apparent on her face and in her eyes, and she searched his face for a reason.

"Shilen was right, Narlafayn. I can't live like how I used to, I'm not mortal anymore." Terebel said, his voice low and thick with tears. "The gods help me, I want nothing more than to return to the Elven Forest and be with you…but I can't. I'll never be able to be the Terebel Baas that I was yesterday." Narlafayn sobbed once and shook her head as he spoke, tears starting fresh and streaming down her cheeks. She still held his hand to her cheek, stubbornly refusing to let him go as he gently pried his arm free of her.

"But you're ok now, you're you again, mortal or no!" Narlafayn said desperately, sobbing openly. Two tiny tears dropped out of Terebel's eyes as he shook his head slowly, the sight of them causing Narlafayn to cry harder.

"Even now I can feel the darkness calling me to pull the Hammer out of you. I may be myself now, but will I be hours from now? Tomorrow? I lost myself so easily before, I couldn't stand putting you at risk just by being near me." He said, his voice breaking. Scarlet howled loudly somewhere below the earth, making everyone jump.

"No…" Sprissa whimpered, clutching Broud's arm. Terebel glanced up at them, and then back to Narlafayn.

"I have to go Narla…right now I'm the only one who can stop those demons." He said desperately. Narlafayn shook her head stubbornly and clung to his hand, shutting her eyes tightly so she didn't have to see his sad face anymore. Knowing that time was running out, Terebel pressed his head against hers and caressed her cheek with the hand she held. "I will always be with you, even when I'm not." He said softly, more tears dropping from his eyes. "I promise you that…because I love you."

The shock from his confession caused her to tense and her eyes snap open, giving him the chance he needed to slip his hand free. Before she could regain her senses, Terebel kissed her as hard as he could, proving that he wasn't just speaking those treasured words to distract her. He slipped out of her reach as he felt her reaching for him, and ran towards the Temple.

"NO!" Narlafayn screamed hysterically, starting after him. Ryonai wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back, keeping her from going after him. "NO, TEREBEL!" she cried, struggling against him. "Let me go! Let me GO!" she screamed, pushing on Ryonai.

"Let him go, he's the only one who can stop this madness!" Ryonai yelled back at her. Narlafayn froze and looked over her shoulder at him, knowing what he spoke was true in her heart, but not wanting to believe it. She turned back towards the Temple as he disappeared behind the wall surrounding it, her heart breaking in two.

"TEREBEEEEL!" she screamed before breaking down into hysterical sobbing.

Terebel shut his eyes at the sound of her scream, but kept his composure. He focused on the doorway of the Temple, ignoring the area outside of it, forcing himself to not remember what had just transpired there mere hours before. He entered the Temple with a determined expression, whipping his hands to his sides to summon forth the Akamanah. They appeared obediently, no longer controlling but being controlled. He entered the main room beyond the doorway, and stepped into the hole in the wall where he knew they would emerge.

"Destroyer! You will die first!" Scarlet shouted, catching his scent before she was visible.

"You're right, but I was raised with better manners than that. Ladies first." He said with his trademark cocky smirk. Whipping the blades around him in a graceful circle, he dislodged the dirt and rocks holding the tunnel's shape. With a great rumble that shook the earth outside even, the tunnel caved in as Terebel ran towards the advancing demons with swords ready.

Outside, Narlafayn watched as dusty smoke erupted from the Temple with the cave-in. Still being restrained by Ryonai, she slumped in his arms and began to mourn with fresh tears. He was gone…her Crusader was gone.


	36. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

_The End of the Legend _

It took several days before a scouting party found Haibane walking through the Ketra Orc Outpost. They were arrested upon sight, but once they returned to Goddard they learned the war had ended with no clear winner as a third party, an unidentified force of beings with one wing, ended the battle for them. Haibane was returned to Aden without a scratch except for the grief of a lost friend in their hearts.

Now, nearly a week after returning to Aden, Haibane stood in the throne room of Aden Castle, listening as the King honored those who led successful battles against Goddard. Dressed in shining bronze and gold Imperial Crusader armor and wearing the crown of Innadril, Ryonai knelt before the King as his name was called.

"I honor thee, Lord Ryonai Ladd-Innadril, with the honored rank of Phoenix Knight." The King announced, tapping Ryonai with his ceremonial sword. "Rise, and may your shield continue to protect, and your sword continue to lead those who serve you, in the honor of Aden."

As Ryonai stood the throne room erupted into cheers, Haibane looking around in surprise at the response. Zaren, Kallina and the rest of the group had managed to escape the Sepulchers somehow, and stood with the rest of Haibane, unscathed. Standing on the raised platform in front of the throne above the crowd gathered below, Ryonai looked down and found Vuylay standing at the front of Haibane and winked at her, earning a blush from her. Feeling the adrenaline from those gathered in the throne room, Ryonai raised a hand into the air in victory, the crowd responding with louder cheers.

Laughing as the crowd behind her began to get rowdy; Vuylay stumbled forward a bit, and turned to push the person whom had bumped into her, playfully. Shaking her head at their immaturity, she gazed around the magnificent throne room of Aden Castle. It was far lovelier than Innadril's, but Vuylay decided she still liked the smaller castle's better. Her smile faded slightly as she caught sight of the back of Narlafayn's new red and black Nightmare Armor as it disappeared out the door. Sighing, Vuylay watched her go with sympathy, knowing that it was best to leave her friend alone.

Her moment of wistfulness was interrupted as Ryonai grabbed her possessively around the waist and lifted her up into the air. The crowd continued to cheer, happy to encourage any behavior from him in the moment, and he lowered her back to the floor as the group converged around him, congratulating him on his new title.

"There are other people getting honored today you know." The King of Aden muttered bitterly, shaking his head.

Deep within the Giant's Cave, the Dark Elven twin mothers of Terebel, and daughters of Gran Kain, stood at the mouth of the back caves, staring at the sky. They held hands like children for comfort, but their faces did not show the fear that laced their auras. The Giant known as Utenus crawled up from the depths of the caves and bellowed something at them in the Giant's slurred tongue. Although muffled by the stone mask he wore, his voice sounded sad, regretful. Zraa and Hydrosfear turned to look at him over their shoulder, each flashing him a genuine smile.

"Thank you for protecting us all of this time from our father, Lord Utenus." Zraa said, her voice no longer blank and devoid of emotion. "It was fun pretending to be your test subjects. I'm sorry we could not bring you enough data to cure the degeneration of your people during our time here. We both apologize deeply for that failure." Utenus shook his mighty head as she spoke, and let out another bellowing noise. Hydrosfear looked at him this time and shook her head, tears glistening in her eyes.

"No, but thank you. It is time for us to finally take the responsibility we have avoiding these long years. We finally know how to avoid your shaman's prophesy." Hydrosfear said this time, shutting her eyes with her smile. She and Zraa each took a breath at the same time and pulled the crystals from their chests. The mechanisms were not grafted to them as everyone had thought, but set to react as if they were. It was the clever trick of a Giant set on protecting the two girls he'd grown to honestly love.

"It's time, Polar." Zraa said, looking at her sister, now showing the fear in her eyes. Hydrosfear swallowed hard and nodded, averting her eyes. With a squeeze of their hands, the twins' form shrunk into two bright lights, and they sped off into the sky.

Time still flows on in an unrelenting stream despite the fierce wishes some may have for it to stop. Summer faded into fall, and then winter. Grand Saint's Day came and went, some hiding away and waiting for it to pass, knowing that it would never be the same again. Spring arrived again; bringing a pleasant morning that dawned bright and clear on the Elven Village. Life was still the same there, even though many of those who lived there were not the same any more.

"…so they really did all of that?" Dasniall said in wonder, seated next to Glarawen. He had dropped by the Village after learning that Glarawen and Arvalo had finally settled down there, and finally got the story of Haibane's adventures out of Cesa. Glarawen and Cesa sat next to one another making decorative bouquets for the upcoming banquet that would honor Celleriant's induction into the Temple of Eva. His knowledge became sought, and the Hierarchs had honored him with a Sword Master position. "Who would've thought that dinky little clan would've amounted to so much! I eat my words, although elegantly and with flavor!" he said, licking his fingers with a classy smack of his lips. Glarawen and Cesa giggled as they tied ribbons around their bouquets. Nearby, Waverly was trying to put together a puzzle with Iris, but she seemed more interested in eating the pieces than putting them in place, making the young boy frustrated.

"So have you lovely ladies managed to trot out to Innadril? It's going to be lovely this time of year!" Dasniall said suavely, putting his arm around Glarawen.

"No, and it's such a shame too! It was so hectic here after the war, we even missed Ryonai and Vuylay's wedding!" Cesa pouted, clutching her flowers like a child clutches a toy. "Most of us watched via the Broadcast Crystal, but it wasn't the same." She sighed and tossed her completed bouquet into the basket next to her and started another.

"That's a shame…Vuylay was quite possibly the second happiest bride I'll ever see in my entire life…the first being Glara here." Dasniall said, squeezing Glarawen's shoulder. She giggled and blushed, picking up another batch of flowers to begin work on. "Speaking of happy, where is our lovely Narlafayn? How is she holding up?" Dasniall asked, releasing Glarawen to glance around the Village curiously. Glarawen's response was to sigh sadly, and Cesa suddenly found her bouquet interesting. "I see." Dasniall said, reading the answer without spoken words.

"No tree!" Waverly suddenly cried, pushing to his feet and racing towards the South Gate. Cesa and Glarawen turned around curiously and found Iris sitting in front of a tiny tree, clapping happily.

"Oh my, she grew another!" Glarawen exclaimed proudly.

A lone figure exited the Temple of Shilen and made their way towards the house located at the far corner of the Garden of Shilen. The person, a woman, walked hesitantly as if it were hard for them to see, and knocked softly upon the door of the home. It opened almost immediately, and Anasala's eyebrows rose in surprise as she found Maeve standing on the other side.

"Why Maeve, your glamour is breaking." Anasala stated, surprised.

"That's not a very polite greeting." Maeve responded, lowering her eyelids in an annoyed glare. The winter had not been kind upon her 1,200 year old body, and wrinkles showed almost prominently through her glamour on her face.

"Well at least it was a greeting, come in." Anasala said, moving out of the way to let the Elder in.

Anasala led her to the receiving room and helped her sit upon the sofa which had long since been cleared of dust covers. She disappeared into the depths of the house for a moment before returning with a tray holding a teapot and saucers. After pouring Maeve a cup, she sat down in the chair opposite of her, and served herself.

"So has there been any word yet?" Anasala asked casually, sipping her tea. Maeve sighed and looked down to her teacup, watching as her reflection wavered over its surface.

"No, he's still missing, and I think he's still got that damn sword." Maeve said, her voice hard. "I'm sorry Anasala; I didn't raise him well…" Anasala held up a hand and shook her head as she set her teacup down with the other.

"No need to apologize, heaven knows I wasn't there for him as his mother." She said regretfully. "Amari has gone missing too, but only recently. Apparently Shilen promised him some sort of deal in exchange for his servitude during that war, but she failed to follow through with it. These past nine months…he's been taking it hard." Silence enveloped the ladies after that, the only sound in the house the faint shout of children as they raced about the Garden, learning from the Celebrants.

"This is good tea." Maeve finally said, taking another sip.

Far south of the Elven Forests, past the bustling trade city of Giran, Ryonai paced back and forth in the throne room of his castle, tense with worry. He was dressed in the heavy robes befitting a Lord, puffy sleeves and pants included, and these swung about his body each time he turned. Zaren stood near the throne with the Chamberlain, semi-hypnotized with Ryonai's walking. A door opened somewhere within the castle, and Ryonai stopped pacing and raised his head to the sound. Without waiting for anyone to appear, he dashed to the staircase leading to the upper walkway, and ran towards the Lord's Bedroom. Zaren was close behind him, his eyes large with concern.

A Bishop emerged from the hallway, halting him before he could reach the bedroom, smiling broadly. Ryonai blinked, bewildered, as she placed a tiny bundle in his arms. Looking down with wide eyes, he found himself staring at a pink-skinned baby, its ears slightly pointed with its heritage.

"It's a boy!" the Bishop said happily as Ryonai let out a short laugh of relief and wonder. "And…" she continued, stepping to the side so her Cleric assistant could step up, "…it's a girl as well!" Ryonai's eyes widened as the Cleric stepped forward, holding another bundle, this one wrapped in a pink blanket. The Bishop gasped and grabbed Ryonai's new son from his arms as fainted backwards onto Zaren.

Several minutes later, Ryonai peeked into the Lord's bedroom. Vuylay lay at the center of the bed with her eyes shut, resting from the labor. A grin cracking his face in two, he slipped inside and shut the door as quietly as he could.

Vuylay groaned lightly in her throat as she felt the bed shift with his weight, and she turned her head towards it. Smiling proudly at her, Ryonai smoothed her hair from her face and watched her until she opened her eyes to look at him.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" he asked softly. Vuylay returned the smile lightly and stretched until a shock of pain made her groan.

"I feel like I've had enough kids for a lifetime." She responded, her voice raspy. Ryonai chuckled and continued to smooth the hair from her face, and leaned over to kiss her forehead.

"I love you." He said, keeping his face near hers. Vuylay smiled lazily at him, and lifted a hand to cup his cheek.

"I know." She said in return, smiling mischievously. Ryonai gave her a lopsided smile and sat up again, holding her hand.

"Better watch it, that answer got us a set of twins. We might get triplets next time." He said, massaging her fingers. Vuylay's eyes went as large as they could go and she weakly threw one of the decorative pillows around her head at him.

"Yeah, and you're giving birth to them this time." She said, suddenly energetic. Ryonai dodged it and laughed, then leaned over to kiss her tenderly. Outside the door, Zaren watched the happy couple through a crack, and then looked down at the babies he held in his arms.

"Mommy and Daddy better hurry up, I don't like changing diapers." He said, looking over the babies. The girl suddenly made a face that looked like a smile, and Zaren's eyes widened as he felt her blanket shift as she passed a large gas bubble. "Oh dear…" he winced. Knowing that defeat was imminent he carried the twins down the hall to what would be their nursery, hoping they'd prepared ahead of time with a supply of diapers.

Up in the frigid north, the Pixie family gathered around the Gatekeeper as they waved and said goodbye to the two of their family at the group's center. Nanaka and Gaseous were finally old enough to venture off into the world and make all the shinies they could in the Pixie and Blackstaff name, and were getting as grand of a sendoff as any previous Pixie had. Some of the younger children cried, while others jumped happily, knowing it was their turn next.

Dragged into the Pixie sendoff by Shana, Koyori smiled weakly and waved at the Dwarven pair before they disappeared, and then sighed heavily in relief. "Well, now that's taken care of, let's go back to Dion Shana…" Koyori began, turning to her sister. She blinked as she found Shana's spot vacated. "Shana?" she said a little louder, glancing around for her sister's bright red hair. Her eyes widened as she spotted her strolling away from the group, holding hands with Spore, and giggling in a very girlish manner. Koyori swooned on her feet and held a hand to her head as a headache sprung up. She had to sit the girl down sometime and teach her what a good man was, and she had to do it soon.

"So Raccoon-Lady, where are you and my Shana living now?" Mama asked, patting Koyori harshly on the back. Koyori winced and stumbled, then looked down at the Dwarf. For once she wasn't pregnant, and looked rather trim as far as Dwarves go. Koyori figured she had finally gotten tired of being full of baby and was giving it a rest.

"Dion. Nice place, although there always seems to be some sort of political unrest." Koyori said with a heavy sigh, walking with Mama. "Plus Shana just won't cooperate with me and we argue almost every day…"

"Sounds excellent! You two are getting along just fine!" Mama said happily, beaming brightly at the taller girl. "So have you found yourself a good man yet? I heard you've been looking!" she asked next, changing the thread of conversation before Koyori could protest. Koyori pursed her lips and shrugged, glancing away so Mama couldn't see her bitter expression. She stopped mid-step as she caught sight of Calisan standing outside the Pixie house, arguing with Spicy.

"Who's that?" she asked, her heart doing the pitter-patter dance that it did when she spotted a rich man.

"Calisan Teristen, always trying to out-merchant my merchant baby, but he doesn't do very well." Mama laughed heartily, thumping her stomach in pride.

"Calisan Teristen, hmm?" Koyori repeated, a sly smile crossing her face. Walking ahead of Mama, Koyori mustered up her old flirty approach, and put on a smiling face as she walked towards Calisan. She was too obvious with her intent to flirt, and Mama chuckled to herself and shook her head.

"Back to her old ways I see." She said, following after her.

Far south of the Dwarven Village, Broud walked bravely into the Ketra Orc Outpost. The guards at the front glared at him, but said nothing, knowing that he had been raised among them. Word had traveled to the Outpost that he had accepted his father's tribe and was now living amongst the High Orcs, but the Ketra were still Orcs of honor, and left him alone. Broud headed towards the village, to the ramshackle house that he knew he would always remember clearly.

After the war had ended, Broud had finally swallowed his pride enough to sit down with his father and speak to him of life amongst the Ketra. Broud became angered as he learned of all the things Hrek, his Grandfather and Guardian, had done to Oonugh. Hrek boasted of being one of the Ketra and being of honor, but he showed nothing but cowardice that was worse than the lowest of humans. Such a grave humiliation was a crime amongst the Ketra, and Broud was there to punish him for it. Oonugh had let him leave with two words in his ears: Think First.

Gripping his pole axe firmly in his hand, Broud clenched his jaw and kicked the door open, charging in with a growl. Hrek shot up from where he sat in his fur-covered chair, his eyes large with shock. The fear melted a second later and was replaced with a senile smile and open arms.

"Broud, you've come back to visit! It's so nice to see you!" Hrek said happily, throwing his arms around Broud in a bear hug. "Have you seen much in the outside world? I see you have become stronger, I'm proud of you!" he said, leading Broud towards a chair and offering it to him. Broud obliged obediently, his eyes large as he watched Hrek's smiling face. "Sit, sit! I'll make us something to drink! You must tell me of your adventures!" Whistling lightly to himself, Hrek moved over to the fire pit and began to stir the pot dangling above it. The smell of Orcish coffee filled the room, and Broud was stunned.

It dawned on Broud then, that the Hrek in front of him was not the same Hrek that was here when he left. The other Hrek had been aged, but had black hair and a body that boasted of fierce strength. This Hrek was withered, his muscles shrunk from age and his hair white. His beard was ragged, and wrinkles lined his face like water damaged leather. This Hrek winced as he stooped over the fire pit, struggling to stir the coffee despite an obvious pain in his back. This Hrek was cheerful, senility taking away his sharp temper and murderous intent. This Hrek was too pitiful to be punished.

"Damn thing, cook faster! I have company!" he grumbled to the pot. Broud stood and put his hand on Hrek's shoulder and drew him away from the fire pit. He gazed at the older Orc with a gentle expression as he led him to the chair he'd vacated.

"That's alright Grandfather, I cannot stay right now." Broud said slowly, to make sure Hrek understood. The older Orc's face fell, and he sat heavily as Broud supported him. Broud stood and gave him a thin smile, which made Hrek beam again. "I am glad you are well." Broud said, choosing his father's words as a parting.

"Come back and visit me again soon, alright Broud? Alright?" Hrek called as Broud left the house. Broud paused to smile at him over his shoulder, but did not respond as he left. No, he would not visit his Grandfather again, for there would not be another chance. Hrek's flame was almost doused. It was a cruel end to Hrek's long life, but his fate was to die alone, amongst Orcs that would merely toss his body into the garbage and burn it as if he were nothing.

Broud paused as he passed the gates of the Outpost, and shut his eyes to take a composing breath. Right now, in the Orc Village, Sprissa was undergoing a ceremony. The Flame Lord Kakai recognized her strength and bravery during the war, and had made her the new leader of the Duda-Mara tribe. She was now in line to become the next Flame Lord, and leader of the Orcs. Letting out his lungful of air, Broud opened his eyes and smiled lightly into the sky. Perhaps if she became the Flame Lord they could be together without secrets, but until then Broud was satisfied with the secrecy.

"Guard the ramparts, they're breaking through!"

Miles north of Broud, Schuttgart Castle smoldered with black smoke as a cluster of people laid siege to it. The smoke had come from the cannon that the one lone Dwarf in the cluster had fired into the walls. The Lord of the Castle, Esham, raced along the upper walkway and leaned over it to glare at the people chopping at his doors.

"Well don't just stand there, stop them!" Esham roared, angry that there was little being done to thwart the menace. He glared out across the courtyard, trying to find the leader of this rebellion. His eyes widened as he found Evzen standing near the flag representing his clan, an authoritive look upon his face. Nearby, Ichigo scrambled around her Wild Hog cannon, trying to figure out why it had stopped oinking.

"Wait a minute, aren't those people with Haibane, that clan protected by Fafurion?" one of the guards near Esham asked fearfully, recognizing Ichigo. He had been part of Ryann's clan prior to the war, and would never forget the pink haired terror as she drove her golem into the wall. The guard's fearful utterance traveled along to the rest of the castle quickly, and Esham growled in his throat.

"Stop that female yammering and defend my castle!" Esham shouted, grabbing the guard who spoke first by his tunic collar and shouting into his face. The guard winced and held up his hands as spittle decorated his cheeks.

"Ok, where's the party?" Oscuro called as he galloped up to Evzen on his strider. The Orc had proclaimed that Ryonai's siege had been so fun, he promised to help him if he seiged another castle in the future. Ryonai would never again need to siege unless someone tried to take Innadril from him, so he introduced Oscuro to Evzen. In truth, Evzen didn't really have a clan of his own, not in the political sense. Those that were trying to break into Schuttgart castle now were all borrowed members and allies of Haibane acting on Ryonai's order.

"Fafurion!" one of the guards shouted as he saw Oscuro's strider. Oscuro blinked twice towards the castle as more cries of "Fafurion! Fafurion's come to kill us!" wafted to their ears from the ramparts. He looked to Evzen in confusion, and the Dark Elf shrugged his shoulders in return. Evzen's mouth parted in surprise as guards began to pour out of the castle, some jumping from the walls and injuring themselves as they landed, each crying "Fafurion!" in fear as they raced away.

"Get back here you idiots!" Esham shouted, his face purpling with rage. Again Oscuro and Evzen glanced at one another and then down to the strider, who panted like a dog. The beast shut it's mouth and looked up to his master with a whine, afraid that he'd done something wrong as was going to be punished for it.

"We're in!" a voice shouted from the doors.

"Let's go get your castle." Oscuro said, leading the way into Schuttgart Castle. He snickered as he walked, and patted his strider's head. "Man, if this happens all the time, I'm always sieging with you guys." He chuckled. A grin split Evzen's face in two, and he dashed past the Doomcryer and into the castle.

"Watch me Mune, I'm not so cowardly anymore." He whispered as he hurried past the throne room to the crystal engraving room. Esham jumped from an upper walkway just as he set foot inside, and unsheathed his sword.

"Evzen Greyhelm, I should've known it was you, you ungrateful cur!" Esham shouted, swinging his sword. Torment, Oscuro's strider, growled menacingly from behind Evzen, halting Esham's blade before it met its target. The burly man's eyes widened and he whimpered as the beast stomped into the room, smoke pouring out from behind its teeth in a menacing manner. The tense moment of silence was broken as Esham whimpered like a child, and dropped his sword. "Fafurion!" he cried, racing out of the crystal engraving room, fleeing his castle as fast as his guards had.

And thus it went down in history about how 'Fafurion' helped the Greyhelm family retake Schuttgart Castle, although no one could clearly recall what 'Fafurion' looked like.

Back in Aden, Synshlee floated, invisible, above Hunter's Village. She had been wandering the world as a lost soul after the war ended, and finally found her way there. Sayha had promised to return her to the Abyss once he was through breaking up the war, but he had sped away once it was finished, trying to quickly return the winged beings to their island before his family discovered that they were unsealed.

He never returned after that, and Synshlee wandered, lost. Without Sayha's magic she became invisible and unnoticed, for only the spirits with things left binding them to the world retained visible form. Now she hovered over Hunter's Village, reminiscing the time she spent there with Oonugh.

As if on cue, Oonugh emerged from one of the houses on the upper level, dressed in casual Orc clothing. Synshlee's face brightened and she flew towards him, but then halted before she'd gone but a few feet. The smile melted from her face and she looked away from him sadly. Even if she went to him now, he would no longer feel or hear her. It would be futile to even try.

Lavinia emerged from the house behind Oonugh, her eyes large and face pale as if she'd just seen something frightening. Synshlee tilted her head curiously as Lavinia put a hand on Oonugh to get his attention. She moved stiffly as if in shock, and Oonugh put his hands on her in instant worry. Her lips moved, but Synshlee was too far to hear what she was saying. She surprised herself by chuckling lightly as Lavinia's words became obvious with the way Oonugh paled, and how Lavinia placed her hands upon her lower belly.

"Oonugh!" she heard Lavinia exclaim as the Orc passed out from shock. She bent over her lover and shook his shoulders, trying to get him to regain consciousness. She chuckled nervously as people passed by and gawked, embarrassed that Oonugh, a mighty Orc, had passed out over the simple news that he was going to be a father. One would think he was used to such news now, with how he had two children already.

"Life goes on even though I yearn for the past." Synshlee said wistfully, smiling at the pair. She blinked and looked down at her hands, which had begun to dissolve into firefly lights. "So something was binding me to the world after all…I see." She narrated as she watched her spectral form dissolve in wonder. She whispered her farewell as her form dissolved completely, eager to return to the Abyss and wait for life to begin again.

Within the house that Lavinia had given to Narlafayn and Mune when she moved to Hunter's Village with Oonugh, Mune grunted as she pulled a mysterious box from where it was shoved behind a panel in the wall. It irritated her that someone would hide something within the house without her ever knowing, and she glared at the box as if it had put itself there.

"Yeah, I see you sitting there all guilty." She growled at it, narrowing her eyes. "Now open up, what are you hiding." She opened it up easily, and glanced at its contents.

Her look of anger softened as she realized the box held some of Ballard's treasured belongings from his long life. There were locks of hair from each of his family members, including her, even from her father. There were drawings that Mune had the faint memory of scribbling with her siblings, each labeled with "To Grandpa" in horrible child-writing. There were leaves from the mother tree during her healthy days, and tiny glass bottles holding little portions of her grandmother, mother and father's ashes.

Mune swallowed hard against the lump in her throat and tried not to think too hard. She ached to see her grandfather again, but she knew she never would in this life. He was safe in the afterlife that the Elves retreated to. She refused to believe he was in the Abyss, as it seemed to her that place was hellish. Perhaps Eva had a place for spirits, a land of water and music that was peaceful. She hoped that this was true.

She tilted her head as the bottles of ashes shifted to the side to reveal a bottle just a little bigger than the others, housing a strange, diamond-shaped green glowing crystal. She lifted the bottle and shook it, trying to discern if the crystal were of any special importance. She pursed her lips as it did nothing with the jostling, and chewed the inside of her cheek in thought. Curiosity gnawing at her, Mune glanced around the living room to make sure she was alone, and then eagerly scrambled to unstop the bottle.

It was corked tightly, and Mune grunted as she tried to pull the stopper free. She gasped as the bottle unstopped with a loud pop, the crystal flying through the air with the force she used to free it. It broke into two pieces as it hit the ground, and Mune let out a noise of desperation. Cursing to herself she knelt beside it and lifted the smaller of the two pieces to look at it in disdain.

The muscles in her fingers twitched involuntarily and she sucked in a hissing breath as she unintentionally pricked her skin on the sharp points of the sliver of crystal, and tried to drop it. Mune's eyes widened in first shock, then fear, as the crystal did not drop from her hands, instead it was pushing into her skin, moved by its own force. Whimpering in fright, she grabbed for the end of the crystal to pull it out, but the rock seemed to sense her desire, and slipped under her skin.

"No, no no…" she whimpered, trying to find the crystal in her finger to push it out. _This is what you get for being curious,_ the bitter voice of her conscience stated as she stared at her bleeding finger in fright. She glanced past her finger as the larger piece of crystal on the floor began to glow brightly, filling the room with green light. Mune shifted so she was on her hands and knees in front of it, staring at it with wonder.

_"I see curiosity finally got the better of you, eh Mune?"_ Ballard's voice came from the stone. An image flickered above it, and Mune's heart leapt into her throat as a miniature, transparent image of Ballard's appeared above it.

"Grandpa!" Mune exclaimed, her throat tightening with happiness to see him again. She smiled happily at him and lifted the crystal so she could see him better.

_"If you have activated this crystal, it must mean that I am dead."_ Ballard said sadly, although he smiled brightly. Mune's smile faded with his words as it dawned on her the crystal was a magical recording of her grandfather, not truthfully him. She swallowed hard against the lump in her throat, determined not to cry.

_"I'm sure you've realized by now, what secret I have that I've kept from all of you, all of these years. I am the guardian of the Seal of Gnosis; I protect the rune guarding the seal that keeps Shilen within her prison."_ He explained. Mune nodded, and then frowned as she realized he couldn't see her. _"As I am making this recording, it is years before I know I will die, but I have already chosen my successor to the seal. With each seal protector there is always a secondary guardian to assist them when it comes time to do the ceremony to strengthen the seal rune. It is at this time that we guardians are at our weakest, and it is up to the secondary to keep us protected and perform the ceremony."_ Ballard's legs moved as if he were pacing back and forth, but the image held him in once place. He stopped pacing to look at the device that was recording him and smiled. _"I have chosen you as the next secondary guardian to my successor Mune, and I'm sure the crystal has already recognized you as it. Seek out my successor, and protect them fiercely. You may not know what to do now, but I can assure you that once you find them, you will know."_ He shut his eyes with his smile, the fatherly smile that made Mune's heart squeeze_. "You will do well Mune, please don't be too angry with me. Eva's blessing be with you always. I love you, granddaughter."_

The image flickered into the air as the crystal stopped glowing, and Mune stared at the cold rock in her hand without emotion. All was silent in the room as she tried to absorb everything Ballard had said to her.

"Ok." She said sullenly, answering him even though he could not hear her. "But who has the Seal now, grandpa?" She waited patiently for the answer she knew would not come, and sighed heavily. A new journey would begin for her, she knew, and she had the gut instinct that she wasn't going to enjoy it.

"…and that is the whole of it, sir." Leon said professionally, standing tall next to Cedric's desk. Cedric nodded as he wrote Leon's words on a tablet in front of him and then sighed heavily as he relaxed and stretched his arms.

"At ease then, Sir DiValmont." Cedric said with a smile as Leon continued to stand at attention. "Quite an adventure you've had with that clan of Ryonai's, eh?" he asked as Leon took a seat hesitantly in the chairs on the other side of Cedric's desk. Leon cleared his throat and nodded, offering the older Paladin a feeble smile. "So what brings you here, nine months after the fact, to give me your report now? She keep you tied up again?" Cedric chuckled as Leon blushed, and then nodded.

"She said I needed more training, so she ordered me to the bright lands." Leon said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I can't say it was much of training though, some part of me wants to say she just wanted an excuse to give me a vacation. I think she felt sorry for me in her own way." He added, his blush deepening. Cedric chuckled and shook his head as he began to fill out the paperwork accompanying Leon's report.

"That sounds like her." He said, signing the paper. "Who would've ever guessed that a son of the DiValmont family was this earth's voice of Einhasad? I don't think I ever would've, but I'm glad I know." He grinned, making Leon blush again. For such an important job in his life, Leon was incredibly humble, and never spoke of his connection to the goddess.

From Cedric's understanding, Einhasad didn't speak to Leon frequently, but when she did, he obeyed. She had set Leon as Sharmin's protector as her strange power developed, to keep her out of situations that would prompt her to use it. The few times he'd failed she'd reprimanded him, but not harshly so.

"So what's next for you, Leon?" Cedric asked, leaning back in his chair and watching as Leon shifted uncomfortably in front of him. Leon thought honestly for a moment, and then grinned broadly.

"I'm thinking I'll find myself a house by a lake and do some fishing." He said proudly. Cedric shook his head and stood, moving around his desk. Leon stood respectfully as the older man approached, and Cedric clapped him on the back.

"How about some company? I could use a break." Cedric offered, placing an arm over Leon's shoulders and leading him from the office.

"That would be great, sir!" Leon exclaimed, awed that Cedric would want to spend any amount of non-business time with him. Cedric laughed aloud at his reaction and led him down the hall.

"Great! Let's make our plans and be off, shall we?" he said, his voice fading as he disappeared with Leon down the hall.

Within Cedric's office, the tiny, private broadcast crystal suddenly flickered. The grinning face of the Crown Prince flashed briefly across its surface and faded. Was it merely a magical after-image of his long-passed speech, or something more?

On the other side of the continent, farthest away from Aden, Komugi and Sharmin stood on the docks of Giran Harbor, waiting for the boat for Talking Island. Ferrol leaned heavily on Sharmin as they waited, looking older and wearier than ever. On Sharmin's other side, Komugi huffed indignantly and tapped her foot impatiently.

"Where is that damn boat? We've been here for a half hour!" she puffed, folding her arms over her chest. Sharmin chuckled at her sister nervously, then blinked as she felt Ferrol's weight shift away from her.

"I'm going to go sit on that barrel over there." He said with a weak smile, moving away from her and walking slowly towards a discarded low barrel. Sharmin sighed as he went, her brow knitting in worry.

"I hope the Island will help him, the mainland only seems to make him weaker." Sharmin said sadly, watching as he sat with difficulty on the barrel. Komugi frowned at her and smacked her on the side of her head lightly.

"Don't be so negative, you just got married for Pete's sake, Mrs. Windawood." She said in annoyance, glaring at her. "You're supposed to be all happy and girly for once, act like it." She shook her head as Sharmin returned the glare and rubbed the back of her head. "Of course Ferrol will be alright, like I told you before the man probably has a lot of bad memories of every place but Talking Island, I'm sure he'll make a speedy recovery there. Maybe even more so if you and Gatz get cracking on popping out babies." Color rushed to Sharmin's face with her last sentence, and she ducked her head down to hide it. "I'm still mad that Gatz had to rush off before you guys could do the Honeymoon thing. What political unrest could be so important to rob a man of his Happy Hour?" she wondered aloud, scratching the side of her nose.

"Komugi!" Sharmin exclaimed, bewildered by her choice of words. Her eyes flickered to her father, afraid that he was listening, and then back to Komugi.

"What, he doesn't last an hour? Damn, we'll have to talk to him about stamina." Komugi responded easily, as if she wasn't speaking of personal things at all with Ferrol nearby. Komugi grinned wickedly as Sharmin tried to sink into herself with her embarrassment. Some things like this, the Prophet hoped, would never change.

"Finally, here's the boat." Sharmin said, not masking the relief in her voice as the ship pulled in and docked. She helped Ferrol stand and led him slowly towards the docking ramp as the few passengers from the Island shuffled off. There were fewer and fewer people leaving the island these days, the amount of students from either school was said to be dwindling down to less than half of what it was when Sharmin attended. After finding a place for Ferrol to sit, Sharmin stood and realized Komugi had not followed her onto the boat. She tilted her head in confusion as Komugi stood on the dock still, scrunching her fingers in a cheesy sort of wave and grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Aren't you coming?" Sharmin asked, walking to the edge of the boat. Her heart fell as Komugi shook her head, and she opened her mouth to ask the reason why.

"Nah, I don't want to be in the way of you and Gatz's baby making." Komugi said wickedly, dispelling her sister's sad expression in an instant.

"But where are you going?" Sharmin finally got out, frowning as Komugi's grin grew. On cue, the dock's bell began to clang, signaling the arrival of another ship.

"Zaken, I'm not joking, give it back!" the short zombie with the oversized corsair hat, known as Corsair Captain Kylon shouted from the cliff near the docks. He and his small zombified crew ran along the edge, protesting as a ship sailed past them.

"I'll just take it out for a spin and make sure it's floating alright, don't worry!" Zaken called from the ship's wheel. He wore his captain's coat again, which flared around him in the wind elegantly.

"Zaken, this isn't funny! That's my ship!" Kylon shouted angrily, reaching the edge of the cliff. Sharmin's mouth dropped open as the dusty pirate's ship sailed past the passenger boat, the crew running to the railing to watch it sail past in wonder.

"Well, there's my ride!" Komugi exclaimed as Zaken pulled the ship close to the docks. "Sharmin, take this!" she shouted, throwing a small bag at her sister before dashing along the length of the dock. Sharmin's eyes widened as she swore she saw spectral wings emerge from Komugi as she leapt from the edge of the dock, flapping once to carry her over the water and disappearing as she landed safely on the deck of Zaken's 'borrowed' ship.

"Wait, Komugi, what is this?" Sharmin called, racing to the back of the passenger ship with the small black bag in her hand. "And am I ever going to see you again?" Desperation crept into her voice with her last question, and she could see Komugi roll her eyes, even with the distance between them.

"Of course you will stupid, that's why I gave you that bag!" Komugi shouted. "It's magic! Grab one of the things from inside, tell it you want to see me, and it'll come get me!" She began to wave as the ships drew farther apart, Kylon and his crew's protesting crescendoing as the ship drew away from the harbor. "Zaken wants to visit Gracia again; I promise I won't be gone forever! Have lots of nieces and nephews for me damn it, I want to spoil them!" Komugi shouted. A lump welled in Sharmin's throat despite the smile on her face, and she waved back at Komugi as hard as she could until the ship faded into the horizon.

"I HATE YOU ZAKEN; I HATE YOU WITH ALL OF MY DECAYING GUTS!" Kylon screeched as his last treasure, his precious ship, disappeared from view. He pulled his hat low over his head as he let out a whining noise of frustration. Around him, his crew blinked in stunned silence, unsure of what to make of their stolen ship being stolen.

"So uh…what do we do now, captain?" One zombie asked. He whimpered and withdrew slightly as Kylon spun around to glare at him, thinking he was going to be hit. Kylon relaxed a second later, his crewmate doing the same.

"To the Monster Race Track! We will pillage it!" Kylon shouted, unsheathing his rusted rapier and holding it to the sky.

"To the Monster Track!" his crew shouted in response, and the group of pirate zombies raced out of sight.

In Talking Island Village, the governor's secretary exited the governor's office, and looked around the village in disdain. Tsking loudly, he put his hands on his hips and tapped his foot in agitation.

"Now where have they BOTH gone?" the man shouted loudly, angry that he'd found the office devoid of not one Windawood, but two.

An hour away from town, Gatz sat with his uncle underneath the Obelisk of Victory, sharing a thermos of lemonade and watching as Cedric's nephew taught children in the fields.

"You know uncle, playing hooky like this is really liberating." Gatz said mischievously, taking a sip of lemonade. Sir Collin chuckled and toasted his words with their tin cups before taking a swig himself. Silence descended the pair as they watched the students, Gatz chuckling in the memory of his time in the school.

"I'm sorry that I had to pull you away from your Honeymoon for meetings that you didn't have any part in, Gatz." Sir Collin began, placing his cup on the ground beside him. Gatz froze mid-sip and shut his eyes in annoyance. He had played up with his best business face that he wasn't upset, but as always Sir Collin could see right through him. He chuckled as Gatz tried hard to keep his annoyed face from showing, and stretched his neck.

"There's a reason, though, so it wasn't in vain." Sir Collin said, looking at his nephew. Gatz blinked and focused his attention on his uncle, waiting for him to continue. "You see, there's talk of opening up trade with Gracia again, and the new King has asked me to act as ambassador to those coming over from that continent. To do so however, I'm going to have to relinquish my title as governor, and that's where you come in." Gatz's eyes widened as Collin grinned, and his cup slipped from his hands.

"What are you saying, Uncle Collin?" Gatz asked in a tiny voice, his heart thudding in his chest. Collin chuckled and patted Gatz heavily on the shoulder before righting his cup and pouring him more lemonade.

"I'm saying, my boy, that you are more than ready to become governor. I'm going to take that ambassador job, and I'm leaving you in charge of the island." He said fondly, smiling as Gatz's jaw dropped open. Yes, he was certain that Talking Island would be in good hands, Gatz's reaction was just like his when the aged king Raul gave him the post in the first place.

Up in Rune, Amari sat by a wagon parked outside of the city, scowling to the ground. He was not pleased with the message he'd received that had called him to that place, even less pleased with whom the message had come from. A shadow fell over him as a person came to stop in front of him, and he slowly raised his head. The face of the mature Eva peered down at him from beneath the traveler's cloak she wore, and Amari glared.

"What did you want?" he asked bitterly, not moving to stand or show the goddess respect. Even after all that had happened, Shilen was still his deity, and to him Eva was the intruder that had taken over her post without permission.

"Come with me." Eva said, turning away from him.

She led him away from Rune to the north, towards a small cluster of houses near a meadow reserve for taming wild beasts known as the Beast Farm. They walked in silence; Amari's few questions floating in the air, unanswered. Eva paused as the houses came clearly in view, and pointed. Amari's gaze followed her finger, and he tilted his head as a group of playing children met his eyes. He narrowed them and took a step forward, his heart thudding inexplicably as a familiar-faced, black-haired Dark Elf girl raced out of one of the houses and launched herself at one of the boys playing in the yard. The boy yelped and fell over, and the rest of the children dog piled on top of them. Amari whipped around with his eyes large, asking Eva to explain what she was showing him without words.

"I am sorry that my sister had to deceive even the one who is the most devoted to her cause." Eva said softly, meeting his eyes without flinching. Amari looked away with a wince, trying to hold his emotions in check.

"I do not want the pity of the Light Elves goddess." He snapped, turning away from the children in front of him. Eva followed him as he walked away, his fingers rubbing his forehead in thought.

"The one you desired was reborn ten years ago, Shilen did not tell you because…" Eva began, but was stopped as Amari held up a hand. He looked at the water goddess with a pained smile, and shook his head.

"I understand, you don't have to explain." He said softly. He knew he would not be able to stand the heartache if Eva continued telling him Shilen's reasons for deceiving him. It was a strange bittersweet feeling in his chest, to see Ilyra reborn in front of him, yet learning that his goddess didn't even care for him in the end. Even the wellspring of dark magic that had been carefully guarded within his soul was missing now. He mouthed his thanks, pride still denying him the courage to voice it, and turned to walk back towards the city.

"Where will you go now?" Eva called, not moving. Amari paused to glance over his shoulder at her and shrug.

"Off to find my brother and relieve him of that accursed sword, I suppose." He said lightly, his protective armor of indifference slipping back into place. "There's not much I can do here until she's older, after all." He grinned genuinely as Eva blushed underneath her cape, and returned to his trek towards Rune. "Goodbye Eva, I suppose I don't hate you so much after all." He called, as he walked away, waving. Eva snorted lightly through her nose and smiled thinly with his words before a waterspout erupted around her, taking her elsewhere.

Back in the Elven Village, Narlafayn stood below the step ladder that Cesa was perched upon, holding the basket of the flower bouquets as Cesa decorated the posts around the Village with them. She stared into space as Glarawen approached with a fresh basket, and jumped as Glarawen touched her shoulder in concern. The basket crashed to the ground, the flower petals scattering as the bouquets tumbled out.

"I'm sorry." She murmured, kneeling to try and pick the bouquets back up. Cesa sighed from her perch and climbed down. The bouquets were ruined, and Cesa had to make that many more to replace them.

"Why don't you leave that here and go find Waverly, Narla? Iris was growing trees around him again and he took off into the forest." Cesa said gently, taking the basket from her. Narlafayn looked up to her with nearly lifeless eyes and nodded obediently. Without a word she stood and walked towards the west gate. Cesa shook her head as she watched Narlafayn leave, and stood up. "I really miss the old Narla, I hope she comes back in time." She said. Glarawen smiled sadly in response, and sighed.

"That's what happens when the other half of your soul is taken from you." She said softly, her eyes misty.

Narlafayn walked slowly down the ramp leading into the forest, catching sight of Waverly sitting on the bank of the lake underneath the village, a fishing pole gripped in his hands. He had turned five the previous year, and now sported the full vocabulary that all five year olds had. He had made it clear that he hated trees, and wanted nothing to do with them. Instead he was quite fascinated with water, which helped ease Cesa's shock a bit.

Narlafayn paused at the end of the village bridge and put her hands on her hips as she found Waverly chattering away to someone wearing a travelers cloak next to him. The person reached out to adjust his hold on the fishing pole, quietly giving instructions that Waverly eagerly agreed with. Shaking her head, she approached them, mustering up enough strength to smile.

"Waverly, you shouldn't bother strangers, it's rude." Narlafayn scolded lightly. The person wearing the travelers cloak stood as she approached, and turned to face her.

"He's not bothering me; in fact we're having a ton of fun, right Waverly?" Terebel said, grinning widely at Narlafayn.

'Uh huh! Catching lots of fish!" Waverly agreed, although his fishing bucket was devoid of anything but a piece of algae. Narlafayn's face paled as Terebel pushed the hood of his cloak from his head, shaking his hair as it was freed. His eyes were once again the turquoise she remembered, although his hair had grown down his neck to touch his shoulders. Giving her his trademark cocky smirk, Terebel held his arms out to her. Narlafayn flew at him with a sob, the force of her hug propelling Terebel backwards with a look of surprise. They both fell into the lake with a large splash, Waverly crying out as he was hit with a wave.

"The fish!" he protested tearfully, pulling his pole from the water. Ignoring the upset five year old, Narlafayn covered Terebel's face with kisses the moment they both surfaced, making sure to hit his mouth more than once. He laughed as she went, and didn't try to stop her.

"How is it possible? I thought you were dead!" she said between pecks. Terebel sighed and halted Narlafayn's eager kissing. He gazed into her eyes gently, and caressed her cheek, pushing hair from her face. He softly shushed her as a tearful look formed on her face and kissed her forehead as she let out a choked sob. The mood changed between them with that gentle kiss, and he lowered his face to hers to kiss her fully. Waverly's hook plopped into the water near them, startling them from their moment, and the pair looked at the elf boy as if they'd forgotten he was there.

"Waverly, why don't you go back into town and get us some towels? Take you time, I need to have a big person's conversation with Auntie Narla." Terebel said, his voice shaking. Waverly stuck his lower lip out in a pout, and the pair laughed at it. "Go on, we'll fish some more when we're dry, I promise." He said. Dutifully Waverly stood, leaving his fishing gear where it laid and raced into the Village as fast as his short legs could carry him. Grinning mischievously at her, Terebel pulled her across the lake, towards a collection of bushes growing along the bank. After helping her from the lake, he shed his travelers cloak and pulled her down to her knees to finally kiss her passionately.

"How is this possible? Am I dreaming?" Narlafayn sighed as he pulled away for air. Terebel lightly laughed through his nose as he gazed at her, and searched out the strings keeping her violet dress tied to her body.

"If you are, I don't want to wake up." He breathed, kissing her again. He pulled away and looked at her seriously, his eyebrows knitting together in worry. "Unless…you've found someone else?" he asked cautiously. Narlafayn blinked large eyes at him, surprised that he'd ask such a question. With a joyful laugh she launched herself at him again, pressing her lips against his and knocking them both into the bushes.

"Last thing I remember in that tunnel…is seeing this light behind me." Terebel began some time later as he and Narlafayn lay in the bushes cuddled together. Although it was still wet, they'd pulled his cape over their bodies to cover them and hide their nudity from any curious visitors. Narlafayn opened her eyes as he began speaking, and shifted to look into his face. She felt completely and utterly happy, knowing nothing but peace with the feel of his body next to hers. Terebel sighed deeply and passed his hands over his eyes as if it were difficult to remember what he was going to tell her.

"I had managed to kill most of the demons coming through that tunnel, and pushed them back into the Sepulchers." He continued, rubbing her arm. "However, once down there, that demon that they called Scarlet got the up on me again, and I found myself on the end of her sword. She left me to go back to her master since he was more important than pursuing you guys." He smiled wanly as Narlafayn squeezed him tighter with worry. "Shilen appeared then, and offered to send me to another world, because she wouldn't have me in her Abyss. These two lights appeared…and I heard voices…everything faded after that."

"When I woke up again, I was in this palace made of light. A woman with great shining wings told me that I had been spared, because my mothers had struck one final bargain with fate. They took from me the power to destroy, and the prophesy of the destroyer. It was their one and only power as daughters of Gran Kain. In my stead, they sent themselves to another world, freeing me of the Legend of the Destroyer." He smiled warmly at her as her eyes welled with tears, and she kissed him.

"What took you so long to come back to me?" she asked in a choked voice. Terebel raised a hand to caress her cheek again. He kissed her lightly before reluctantly drawing away from her and sitting up. Narlafayn's eyes widened as she got her first view of a strange rune burned into the skin of his back. "What's that?" she asked, alarmed. Terebel glanced over his shoulder as he reached for his clothes, and grinned at her.

"Final gift from my father, if you can call it that." He said, standing to pull his pants back on. "It was also the one thing that prompted Einhasad to take me to her palace. Apparently my new tattoo is the Seal of Gnosis; my dad gave it to me before he died." He said, as if it were perfectly natural. Pants in place, Terebel knelt again to kiss Narlafayn once more as a look of desperate fear crossed her features. "Don't make that face Narla, its fine. It at least gives me something to do with my new long life." He chuckled. "As for what took me so long, Einhasad had to be certain that the Destroyer's power was completely purged from me, so I've spent the past nine months in her realm. Nice place, but far too clean for me. She's a surprising slob in her own little living areas, but the rest of the palace had to be speck free or she'd pop. Did some bonding with my grandpa too…can't say that I enjoyed that though. He's definitely not the old man you'd go fishing with."

Narlafayn let out a noise and clung to him, nuzzling her face against his neck and breathing in the smell of him. She never wanted to forget it, even when she was just a few steps away from him. He raised his arms slowly to hold her back, and leaned his head toward her.

"Hey now…if you do that, we'll be out here a lot longer." He said with a trembling breath. Narlafayn pulled away to grin at him mischievously and leaned forward to bite his lip.

"Fine with me." She said, pulling him down into the bushes again.

In the Village, Dasniall and Glarawen stood at the observation balcony overlooking the forest, right above where Narlafayn and Terebel disappeared into the bushes. "That Naked Bush is really getting some quality time." Dasniall grinned. Glarawen giggled and leaned down to pick up Iris, who toddled over to them. "How long do you think they'll be in there?" he wondered aloud, craning his neck to try and see if he could catch a glimpse of the action below the thick brush.

"Das, behave!" Glarawen scolded playfully. She giggled again as the bushes rustled, and carried Iris into the village. "I hope not for too long, Cesa will have dinner ready soon, and I'm sure she'd like to know that he's back and well." She said, her voice fading as they retreated into the village.

Within the shining palace of Einhasad, Paagrio knelt before his mother, his head bowed reverently. She sat elegantly upon a throne from where she watched the doings of the world, and gazed down at him without expression. His dark skin and hair seemed nearly black against the shining white of her citadel, and he tried to shut his eyes against its brilliance.

"You should be ashamed, Paagrio, for trying to use that human's gift for your own design." Einhasad said coldly, narrowing her eyes as she stared down at her son.

"I am sorry, mother." Paagrio said in a low voice, "But you have no right to interfere with business of realms not your own." Einhasad stood up from her throne, her eyes flashing with her anger.

"You are foolish to tell me such a thing, Paagrio, for it is through me that girl even has that power." Einhasad said angrily, grabbing one of Paagrio's braids and pulling his head back to look at her. "I gave her mother that power, my hot-headed son, so that she would it to keep my foolish whelps in line. It is only natural, no matter what gifts you bestow upon her to sway them to your cause, that she would reject you. I put that restriction with the magic to keep you idiots from trying to use her." She released Paagrio's hair and re-seated herself. "I have since contacted the girl about her magic, and how it will be passed to her offspring. She, or anyone else of her bloodline will never be swayed by the promises of the gods again. She knows how to use it to its true purpose." She grinned smugly as she watched her son try to control his rage as he returned his gaze to the ground. "You would do wise to 'butt out', my son, unless you'd like something similar to what happened with Sayha and that Dark Elf he impregnated, happen to you."

"You forget the Hammer is still alive within the vessel Shilen placed it in…" Paagrio attempted to say, trying to find a way to bandage his wounded pride by finding a shortcoming in his mother's sight. Einhasad's bored sigh made him clench his fists in frustration, and he glanced up at her.

"I knew the Hammer was within that girl, why do you think I tried so hard to remove her from this world again?" Einhasad said lightly, inspecting her fingernails. "I talked with the goddess of the world she was in, and through our combined powers we've made the spirit of the tool fall asleep within the Elf. It will return to our realm once the Elf's live is over, whenever that will be, so I am not worried." Einhasad shifted upon her throne, and she smirked again. "As for that accursed sword, I've hidden far out of sight. It will be years before anyone finds it again." She smiled as Paagrio hissed at her and disappeared in a burst of flame. Pleased with herself, she relaxed in her chair, and made herself comfortable.

"Eva." She called. The waterspout erupted in front of her, and Eva appeared from it, kneeling reverently.

"Yes mother?" the young Eva said in a tiny voice. It was so rare for Einhasad to call upon her; Eva feared that it did not bode well. Einhasad smiled and leaned forward, her eyes narrowing.

"Tell me Eva; is it true that you had something to do with the unsealing of the Sealed Ones?" Einhasad asked, her voice sinisterly smooth. Eva raised her head with large eyes, confused as to what her mother was asking her. Sayha had been the one to release the Sealed Ones…how did Einhasad pin it to her?

There were happy conclusions all over Aden and Elmore, and end to Legends and epic Journeys as those of our story settled to begin a happier life. It was peaceful for once, save for one far to the north. Deep within the Forge of the Gods where the heat was nearly unbearable, one lone Elf with hair the color of springtime flowers, sat on the only rock that was bearably hot, rocking. She was wild looking, her once beautiful hair ragged and singed from being within the heart of the volcano. Her eyes were large, and her mouth moved as she whispered incomprehensible words. Not ceasing in her rocking she looked down to the burned blanket she held in her arms, her eyes large and insane.

"That's right precious, you'll take care of them for me, won't you?" she whispered, gently caressing the blanket. A tiny fist poked free of the blanket, and the sound of a baby's unhappy whimper sounded through the room. Shizuka smiled and kissed her baby's head, smoothing down the single lock of red hair that grew there. "That's right my precious one…that's right. Sleep now and grow…and then go out and avenge me one day."

"Make them sorry that they ever knew my name."

The End


End file.
